When Julia, a mother of three, came to Providence on September 30, 2024, she was working to rebuild stability for her family after surviving violence and experiencing major life changes. Despite the challenges surrounding her, Julia remained focused on protecting her children, increasing her independence, and creating a more secure future for her family.
Employment became an important part of that journey. What began as part-time work cleaning homes slowly grew as she built relationships with clients and established herself. Through persistence and hard work, she expanded her cleaning work into a full-time business with a growing clientele.
At the same time, Julia remained deeply focused on her children. Her eldest son was having difficulty adjusting to the significant changes the family had experienced, and those challenges began affecting his experience at school. As a mother, she was navigating her own path toward stability while also working to make sure her children received the support they needed.
The Challenge — From Tragedy
Housing was one of the family’s greatest barriers.
Julia entered the housing search without many of the things landlords traditionally expect from an applicant. She had limited rental history, little established credit, difficulty documenting income from her growing self-employment, and an emotional support animal. Even when she located available units, property owners frequently requested income documentation or told her that her income was not sufficient.
Still, she continued applying.
Julia pursued affordable housing opportunities, including DAHLIA, housing subsidy programs, and waitlists. She explored domestic violence resources and attempted to access specialized housing support. At different points in her journey, she was connected to housing navigation services and placed on housing queues, only to experience additional delays and setbacks.
One housing search lasted several months without resulting in a home. When that opportunity ended, she had to return to an Access Point, complete another assessment, and begin another housing process.
For a family already working to recover from instability, starting over could have been discouraging. Instead, she continued.
The Providence Way — We Make It Happen Through Us or With Others
Throughout her time with Providence, Julia worked with multiple members of the Providence case management team. Rather than focusing on one single program as the solution, Providence continually adjusted the family’s plan as circumstances changed.
The team developed a Family Success Plan centered on housing stability, income growth, family support, and connection to survivor resources. Providence case managers provided housing opportunities and waitlist information, supported applications, helped the guest obtain homelessness verification when needed, connected her with community-based survivor and family resources, and repeatedly followed up on housing referrals.
Providence also helped Julia navigate CalWORKs housing services. Case managers called alongside her, followed up on the status of her Housing Support Program referral, and continued checking in when responses were delayed.
When one pathway did not work, Providence helped identify another.
When a housing search ended without a successful placement, the team supported the guest as she returned to the Access Point, completed another assessment, and re-entered the Rapid Rehousing queue. As her cleaning business continued to grow and her income changed, Providence also evaluated whether new housing resources could become available to her.
The team’s support extended beyond housing. When concerns arose involving her eldest son, Providence worked with Julia to identify additional family and youth resources and supported her efforts to advocate for him at school.
Most importantly, Providence continued walking with the family even when the path changed.
The Turning Point — To Triumph
The turning point came when Julia was identified for an affordable two-bedroom housing opportunity.
After so many months of applications, waitlists, housing searches, and changing pathways, the family finally had a unit within reach.
Providence immediately began coordinating the next steps.
The case manager worked directly with the housing property representatives to obtain the documentation needed to secure the unit and began preparing a Problem Solving rental-assistance request through the City of San Francisco.
Providence did not stop at simply helping the family obtain the apartment.
Understanding that moving into housing was only the beginning of stabilization, the case manager advocated for additional financial support so the family would have time to transition successfully. Providence requested assistance with the security deposit, first month’s rent, and several months of rent following move-in.
The standard assistance available was not enough to meet what Providence believed this family needed to stabilize. The case manager therefore advocated for an exception.
That advocacy was successful.
Julia was approved for four months of stabilization rental assistance after moving in rather than the standard three months. Providence also advocated for expanded furniture assistance so the mother and her three children could begin their new chapter with the household items they needed.
The team coordinated documentation, financial agreements, payment processing, and communication between the property and funding partners so that administrative barriers would not prevent the family from moving forward.
Providence also arranged moving assistance so the family’s belongings could be transported from the shelter into their new home.
Julia had spent months doing her part—building her business, searching for housing, completing applications, attending appointments, following up with programs, and continuing after opportunities fell through. When the right opportunity finally opened, Providence worked to make sure she could cross the finish line.
A New Season of Life
Today, Julia and her three children are permanently housed.
She moved from cleaning homes part-time while struggling to demonstrate sufficient income for housing to building a full-time cleaning business with an expanding clientele. The same determination she showed in growing her business carried her through months of housing uncertainty.
Her family’s new home represents more than a successful housing placement.
It represents a mother who continued moving forward after violence and instability. It represents children who now have a permanent home from which they can continue healing and growing. And it represents what can happen when a guest’s determination is met with consistent case management, advocacy, problem-solving, and a team unwilling to give up when the first pathway does not work.
Reflecting on her family’s experience at Providence, she shared:
“I thank the case managers and case manager supervisor for all of the help and support they provided. The staff here was great and always helped me with things I needed on site. It felt like a true safe space for me and my family to be, especially going through such a stressful time in our lives.”
Her words reflect an important part of this family’s journey. Before permanent housing was secured, Providence was able to provide a space where the family felt supported, heard, and safe while they worked toward what came next.
Providence did not create this mother’s resilience—she brought that with her.
Our role was to recognize it, walk beside her, continue opening doors, and use every available resource to help turn her determination into lasting stability.
The Providence Signature — We Lift People Up
At Providence, we honor the dignity and strength that every guest brings through our doors.
We walk with families through difficult seasons, creating spaces where they can feel safe while they rebuild and stand beside them as they work toward their goals. When plans change, we adjust. When barriers arise, we advocate. When outside resources are needed, Providence activates those relationships and keeps the collaboration centered on what the guest and family need to move forward.
This family’s journey reminds us that success is not always a straight line. Sometimes it means trying one pathway, encountering a barrier, developing another strategy, and continuing forward together.
This mother did exactly that.
Providence walked alongside her until she and her children could step into a new season—one with a home of their own, a growing business, greater stability, and the opportunity to continue building the future she envisioned for her family.
We lift people up so they can rise into their future.