Anthony was once hours away from dying on the streets of Jacksonville. Today, thanks to 100 Homes Jacksonville, he lives at Andy’s Place, a River Region Human Services, Inc. development that offers permanent supportive housing for those who have been homeless. Residents at Andy’s Place receive life skills training, which increases their opportunities to become productive, employed members of the community.
Anthony grew up in Miami, where he was a long-time employee of a national food distributor. He moved to Jacksonville to pursue other employment opportunities and worked as a delivery driver and later as a car salesman. He began having medical problems and was eventually unable to work resulting in a loss of income. He lived in his car for several months, but after his money ran out, he had to sell his car and ended up living in shelters and then on the streets. A serious, almost fatal, heart issue landed Anthony in the hospital where he received a pacemaker.
100 Homes Jacksonville is a nonprofit program that works to identify the most vulnerable homeless individuals with a high risk of death to provide permanent supportive housing. Anthony was one of those identified due to his medical condition. Since the program began in 2012, 100 Homes has housed over 500 chronically homeless people across the region. Ability Housing administers the program that is a collaboration of multiple agencies, including the Veterans Administration, River Region, the Sulzbacher Center, Clara White Mission, the Jacksonville Housing Authority, Mental Health Resource Center and ESHC.
Ability Housing is the only nonprofit in Northeast Florida that focuses on the development and operation of quality affordable rental housing for individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and adults with a disability. 100 Homes Jacksonville is part of the national 100,000 Homes Campaign and is one of the major programs making a difference in Downtown today. For more information, visit www.abilityhousing.org or http://www.rrhs.org.
Anthony has been off the streets and in his own home since July 2012. He is thriving and proof that the program works!