Everyone Needs a Break

Matt was born and raised in San Francisco, where he entered the foster care system at an early age. He was eventually adopted and dedicated his life to education, earning his master’s degree and becoming a high school English and Theology teacher at Catholic schools. 

His teaching career led him to Sacramento. While the move initially worked well for him, it eventually turned into a negative experience. He remembers feeling less comfortable as a gay man in the environment, noting that by the time the pandemic began, it felt untenable to continue living there. Around that same time, a toxic landlord left him without housing. 

He ended up sleeping on streets of Sacramento around Cesar Chavez Plaza. While incredibly difficult, he felt connected to the other people sleeping in the area. They looked out for one another, offering community and protection. 

As Matt considered his options for moving forward, he found himself in between work and retirement. In his late 60’s at the time, he was slowing down and less able to work full time. He was trying to wait until 70 to collect the maximum amount of social security, leaving him with few options. 

With Sacramento feeling unsustainable, he headed to a familiar place: Santa Cruz. He had spent plenty of time in the area over the years, and was well connected with local senior services, which he described as much more supportive than what he had found in Sacramento. 

He arrived in town on a particularly rainy night in early 2025. He planned on spending a cold and wet night on the streets, but was told the severe weather shelter run by People First was open. The next day, he went to Housing Matters to find out what his options were moving forward. Once there, they told him about AFC’s Faith Community Shelter, which seemed like a good fit. 

After an intake, he was able to get into the shelter quickly. He remembers immediately feeling comfortable in the environment, noting the transition was surprisingly easy. There were several other older individuals in the shelter at the time, and everyone was welcoming and helpful right away. He quickly became a reliable presence in the shelter, eventually taking over as night monitor. 

At the same time, he began working on his housing plan. His goal was to become a substitute teacher and find an affordable apartment once he began collecting social security. He started visiting complexes and trying to get on waitlists while also applying to local school districts. Unfortunately, his hard work was soon derailed.

He was sitting in a movie theater one day, and, as the movie ended, realized he couldn’t stand up. Theater staff helped him get outside, where he called a Lyft and went immediately to the hospital. It turned out he had infections in both legs that required urgent medical attention. The treatment left him in the hospital and later a rehab facility for weeks. 

Once discharged, he found himself having to use a walker and moving slower than before. He came back to shelter, where he remembers staff and shelter members going the extra mile to make sure he could navigate the shelter sites safely. 

While he might have physically been moving slower, Matt’s dedication to finding housing and work didn’t slow down. He secured a job as a substitute teacher, and toward the end of his time in the shelter, turned 70 and began collecting social security. Affordable housing was his only missing piece. 

The subsidized units he was hoping for weren’t going to be available any time soon, as they all had lengthy waitlists. Lexy, his Case Manager with AFC, had recently helped several other shelter members move into the Palomar Inn, and floated the idea to him. To afford the rent more comfortably, he’d need a roommate. Fortunately, another shelter member with whom he got along with was in a similar situation. The two talked it over, viewed a few rooms, and decided to make the jump. 

As is usually the case, getting into housing was a team effort. “Everything sort of fell into place.,” Matt recalls. With Lexy helping coordinate the effort, several organizations did their part to make the transition successful. Community Action Board offered assistance with the deposit and short-term rental assistance. The county offered a small amount to go toward home furnishings. Wings supplied a welcome home basket. 

Several months in, Matt and his roommate are doing well. Matt substitute teaches a few days a month. He still keeps up with friends from the shelter, occasionally dropping by for dinner. 

Looking back on his return to housing, he reflected, “In many ways it was very easy. In many ways it was not.” At the end of the day, while he relied on the support of community, he put the responsibility to move forward on himself. “You got to do something,” he shared.

While his time with AFC wasn’t perfect, he left with a sense of appreciation. “What impressed me most about AFC,” he recalled, “was the non-judgmental approach and understanding that everyone needs a break. No one’s perfect…There wasn’t an element of shame.”