Alice moved into her home in October 2018, but her journey to get there was long. Before that, she was unhoused in Alameda for about five years, staying near the beach, sleeping on benches, and trying to get by. One day, while she was resting on a bench, a woman named Lucy approached her.

“She asked me, was I homeless? Did I want help? I said yes—and that same day she got me and my push buggy, and we went to BACS downtown.”

From there, things moved fast. Alice was connected with a BACS staff member who took her around to look at housing options. “She was so polite and courteous,” Alice remembers. “We went to look at this apartment, and I liked it right away. It was clean, it was quiet, it had a big yard. I moved in that same day.”

The process—connecting to services, applying for housing, and getting the keys—took only a week. “It came with a garbage disposal and a washer and dryer. I felt lucky.”

Once housed, Alice got help with everything she needed to stabilize. “Transportation, medical help, hospital visits, psych services, medications, food, clothing, even filling out forms—I had support.”

BACS also helped furnish her apartment with donations: “We fixed up chairs, brought in a table, dresser, bed frame. It was a whole home.”

Now, years later, Alice feels safe, connected, and proud of how far she’s come. “My neighborhood is peaceful. There was only one issue in all these years, and we worked through it. Being housed gave me peace of mind. It cleared up a lot of my health challenges. It helped me heal my mind.”

Alice has built a full life in her community. She joined the church across the street and started participating in local senior centers. “I’m part of the dance program, the movement classes, and I take care of my plants. I have dear neighbors who check in on me, and I check in on them.”

She’s also reconnecting with family. “I’m working on relationships with my daughters, and I get to spend time with my granddaughter now. I want to take trips, explore my neighborhood, go to the flea market at Lake Merritt. Just having conversations with neighbors—that brings me joy.”

Her advice for anyone still waiting to be housed?

“Keep the faith and hope. Don’t give up. There are people in the world who are loving and kind, and they will come to your rescue. Believe in miracles.”