James Turner popped open the helmet of his red , Ford , vehicle and checked the website. Soon, he will travel north to his new residence by hopping in his vehicle, which was his only house at the time.
Turner, 62, now lives in , Kiggins Village, a Vancouver Safe Stay house that consists of 20 houses enclosed by a gate in the , Lincoln , area. But in the next couple of weeks, Turner may move to a casing advanced for soldiers in , Port Orchard , to get closer to home.
He’s among the first people of , Kiggins Village, which opened in December, to get firm cover. The , Portland- based volunteer Do Great Multnomah operates , Kiggins Village, one of four Safe Stay tents established by the town of , Vancouver , since 2021. Would Good Multnomah serves poor soldiers, so many of , Kiggins Village ‘s , people have served in the armed forces.
According to an , April 15 , record to the , Vancouver City Council, four , Kiggins Village , people have exited into cover, and one person has entered healing therapy.
” It’s stimulating when someone we’ve been supporting for months — often times — receives the secrets to their room under their own name”, Do Great CEO , Daniel Hovanas , said in an email. ” However, it’s also important to recognize that permanent housing is n’t the only measure of success. Whether it means transitioning to a long-term system, going into rehab, or joining a clear and calm system, our goal is to assist people in moving toward all of their objectives. Each of these benefits is a major win.
It all simply snowballed, I say.
For a variety of factors, including stress from fight, research indicates veterans face a higher risk of becoming poor than the general population. In March, the , Council for the Homeless , counted 80 poor veterans in , Clark County.
Turner, a , U. S. Army , senior, was a lengthy- haul truck drivers and three- moment homeowner. After he left his job as a truck driver, he was chairs browsing and booking rooms with buddies about 100 kilometers away from , Vancouver. He briefly worked for a construction company, but the job was ruined by a concussion.
Turner, who has lived in , Clark County , for more than 30 years, had a bit of savings and could cash out his worker’s compensation claim once a month. But his money dwindled.
Turner began living in his truck.
” Everybody’s looking at you. You can try to be incognito, but it’s pretty obvious that somebody’s living in their car. It’s not fun”, he said.
After a few months of bopping between motel parking lots, he moved into the city of , Vancouver ‘s , Safe Park, which offers support to people living in their cars. Turner claimed that having a truck was difficult, particularly for his body.
” It all just snowballed, and here I am now. However, I’m glad I’m here because the situation could have been worse, Turner said.
Turner said that some veterans do not trust the , U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs , because they’ve lost faith in the system.
Turner said,” I wish more veterans made the effort and did n’t worry about getting help.” ” It did take me a bit. I’m still kind of bizarre about it all because I’ve pretty much always been able to take good care of myself. However, veterans do have advantages and should use them because they deserve to.
After Turner spent a few months living at the , Safe Park, staff there connected him to , Kiggins Village.  , Dale Smith, program manager for , Kiggins Village, said when staffers met Turner for the first time, they knew he’d be a good fit for the community. He was actively working with the , VA , and in line for a housing voucher. Turner moved into , Kiggins Village , that same day.
Smith said when new residents arrive,  , Kiggins Village , staff meet with them and talk about how to help them reach their goals.
Do Good Multnomah works with the , VA, Sea Mar Community Health Centers,  , Columbia River Mental Health,  , Outsiders Inn,  , Council for the Homeless , and , Vancouver ‘s , homeless outreach team.
” Each individual comes to us with a different set of circumstances, different barriers, different stories”, Smith said. ” They’re the professionals in their own walk forward, and we just walk alongside them”.
Smith said staff start by listening.
” A lot of us who do n’t struggle with this will just say,’ If you need an ID, why do n’t you just go get your ID?’ But when you’re used to being told’ no’ so many times, people will usually end up not doing things because they’re used to being told ‘ no,'” Smith said. ” Our hope is that we can inspire some to build trust, build relationships, and then have dignity”.
Do Good Multnomah staff assisted Turner in getting additional documents that helped him with his housing application.
Smith said moving out of , Kiggins Village , and into housing creates an array of new challenges.
” For me, personally, when people get keys in their hands, I’m scared”, Smith said. When I see them a year or two down the road, either coming back from visiting or just seeing them walking on the street with a smile on their faces, where I get excited.
Turner is eager to live closer to his family. But he plans on visiting , Kiggins Village , to see old friends and staff. He said the change makes him a bit nervous, but he feels good about the future.
” I could n’t have done this without the folks ( at Do Good ) helping me navigate and pointing me in the right direction”, Turner said. Six months ago, I was in a terrible position, but now I feel much better and like I can enjoy my retirement. I’m confident I will”.
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