Mike V. admits he hasn’t always made good choices in life. Money troubles and a drug habit eventually led to life on the street for Mike – hard times he describes with a single word, “miserable.”
Then came the pandemic and the Emergency Housing program, and Mike found temporary shelter in a motel. Although he says it beat being on the street, there were still a lot of things that made life uncomfortable – people around him doing drugs, noise, a lack of resources. “It was not fun.”
When his caseworker at the Homeless Prevention Center told him about a new place being built, he thought he liked the sound of it. “I was a pest,” jokes Mike. “I always say the squeaky wheel is the one that gets the grease – I bugged them every day.”
Mike’s persistence paid off, and when Lincoln Place opened, Mike moved into his own studio apartment, complete with his own full kitchen. “I love to cook,” says Mike. “Once I saw the stove, I was happy. When you live in a motel, and have to survive using just a microwave and a mini-fridge – it’s just so nice to have a kitchen.”
Other benefits of living at Lincoln Place include the convenient location near shopping and downtown. Mike says the community is peaceful, and he enjoys visiting with his neighbors. For this lifelong Rutlander, life is good right now. “I’m very comfortable where I’m at. I don’t need anything. I don’t have to worry about a lot of things right now. There are very good people here – they respect each other. And it’s quiet – that’s where I’m at right now.”
“I feel lucky to be here,” he adds. “I’ve gone from homeless to here. I feel like I’ve finally found a home.”
He has a suggestion for the staff looking at various ideas and activities that will help build community. “I think we need a pool table. You can always get someone to join you on a pool table.”