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Pierre’s life has changed dramatically over the last two years. He now lives in Tigard in a two-bedroom apartment with his son, in walking distance from his job where he works as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Two years ago, he was unexpectedly homeless.
Pierre first moved to the Pacific Northwest for a job opportunity that unexpectedly fell through soon after arriving. Next, his housing also fell through, and Pierre found himself homeless. He was able to stay at the Just Compassion shelter in Tigard, accessing services through their day center, with only the belongings he could fit in a suitcase and his guitar.
After staying in shelter for several months, Pierre was connected with a Rapid Rehousing program which pairs two-years of rental assistance with case management. Pierre moved into his own apartment in September 2023 and shortly after his 16-year-old son moved in with him. “We finally had a safe place to live and money for food,” Pierre reflected on the simple things we take for granted that his new home provides. Pierre worked as a janitor even while experiencing homelessness until he was laid off due to COVID related staffing changes just after settling into his new apartment. Even as doors closed – Pierre continued to look for opportunities.
With Pierre’s prior experience working in healthcare, he worked as a caregiver and decided to get his CNA certification. He explained, “I like working with people, and healthcare allows me to directly affect other’s lives in positive ways daily.”
With the support of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization (IRCO) Career Start Program, Pierre was awarded tuition to cover the total cost of training and pay for the testing.
“Without this help I would not have been able to get where I am. Because of my housing and IRCO’s support paying for the training, I was able to focus on learning the material, not the stress of making ends meet.” Pierre is proud to share he received a passing score of 100% of the skills assessment.
The voucher that helped Pierre move into housing and shelter he stayed at are funded by the regional voter-approved Supportive Housing Services (SHS) measure, which invests in proven solutions for people experiencing homelessness to attain stable housing including rent assistance, case management, shelter, and outreach. Every day, SHS helps people like Pierre get back on their feet and thrive.
Pierre has five other adult children and has been able to reestablish relationships with family thanks to the stability provided by his career and rent assistance. “All of my kids can reach out and say, hey Dad, do you have $20? And I have it!”
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