City Program Helps Unhoused Sacramento Family Find New Home After Years Living In RV
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – A family is thankful to have a home after a job loss forced them to live in homelessness.
Margie Habner enjoys little luxuries in her new house.
"Getting up and making my coffee and waking my kids up," said Habner.
She also enjoys having electricity. Her children now have their own rooms.
"This home means everything to me," said the mother of four.
The heartfelt gratitude comes after being without a home for four years. When her husband lost his job, it forced the family to live on the streets inside an RV. Eventually, Habner's husband and son found work but the income wasn't enough. They still had expenses despite no permanent home.
"I would never let my generator be turned off," Habner told CBS13.
It cost $2,300 per month to keep it running 24/7. The money could've gone toward a deposit and first month's rent instead.
"So the reality is – I would say, on average, 25 percent of our clients are working individuals who just need a little bit of help to get into a place," said Sierra Edwards of Step Up on Second.
The non-profit organization helps unhoused people find housing by offering casework management and retention services up until a year after people move into their new homes. Edwards assisted the Habners in securing their current home after the city of Sacramento found them a room through its Motel Voucher Program.
A few days in a motel led to saving the cash needed for the rent. It's a success story the city wants to repeat.
"We could fill many more motels if we had them available. There's an awful lot of people living on the streets who are ready to take that next step," said Gregg Fishman, a spokesperson for the city's Department of Community Response.
The city believes it can help more people like the Habners but the Motel Voucher Program is running out of federal funding which expires at the end of March.
However, the city did find additional money to keep the program going until June 30, Fishman said.
During a recent visit with advocates, Habner couldn't stop thanking the team for their help.
"To be able to be in this home and have somebody that cared for us that placed us here to help us," she said.