NBC29Help for the Homeless Means Waiting
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Tuesday, we introduced you to Sonia Orem, who lives in her car on a Charlottesville street. She's not doing it by choice. She's trying to find work, she can't afford rent and she's running into many obstacles while looking for help.
Sonia has told us that despite her best efforts all of the ways you'd expect her to get help, through public service organizations and so forth, have turned into dead ends. So Wednesday we went knocking on those same doors.
Charlottesville seems like a place that would be full of help. It can be but only if you can afford to wait. Getting assistance means working through a maze of options and even then, there's no guarantee.
Many of the area's homeless are seeking help. MACAA's Connie Jorgensen said, "In the neighborhood of 25 percent of the population lives at the poverty line. That's a pretty significant problem."
That's bad news for people like Sonia who say a home has to be the first step in getting back on her feet.
"The agency said they don't really see hope in me getting a job right now because as one person, I have too much on my plate. I would never be able to function with what happened," recalled Sonia.
Region Ten says the need is so great and the resources so scarce that it may take weeks or months before you can find anywhere to live besides a shelter.
"You can't just wave a magic wand and fix everybody's problems," stated Jorgensen.
So agenices, including the Piedmont Housing aAliance, say you should seek help before the situation turns desperate like Sonia's.
PHA's Shelley Murphy said, "We're not miracle workers. We need the time. So we need people to come early as soon. As they find themselves one month behind, they should be calling and saying, 'I need help.'"
The agencies all say they have help to give, but don't wait too long to ask for it or you might be waiting an even longer time to get it.
"I feel stuck. I feel stranded," said Sonia.
MACAA has a program called "Hope House" for families facing homelessness, but there are only three apartments available and the families stay in them for up to six months. So the wait is long to get in. Also, it's not available to single men or women.
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