Stan took early retirement to return to his childhood home and care for his aging mother. The house, bought by his grandparents in the 1970s, had long been the family’s anchor. After his mother passed, Stan’s sister inherited the home, and he stayed to help maintain it. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t keep up with maintenance or expenses.
When his sister died unexpectedly in 2022, Stan had to leave the home. Living on a fixed retirement income, he struggled to qualify for housing. Senior options had long waitlists, and traditional apartments were unaffordable.
By November 2024, Stan sold his car, put his belongings in storage, and turned to Housing Forward’s Emergency Overnight Shelter. “I was in a really bad spot,” he recalls. “I didn’t know what was in store for me.”
He stayed at the shelter for nearly four months. Each morning after leaving at 6:30 a.m., he would wait in his storage unit or have coffee at McDonald’s until the library opened. The library became his sanctuary during the harsh winter.
In spring, Stan was able to find an apartment he could afford. Housing Forward helped with the first month’s rent and deposit. “I consider the Housing Forward staff friends for life,” he says.
Now settled, Stan is saving money, rebuilding his credit, and making plans for the future, including rejoining the over-50 basketball league he once played in.
“It really couldn’t be going any better,” he says.
Housing Forward
Housing Forward is passionately focused on one vision – ending homelessness.
Ending homelessness means addressing it at all levels, from the possibility of a housing crisis to its permanent resolution. We prevent homelessness whenever possible, respond to housing crises when they do occur, and stabilize people with supportive services and housing. Housing Forward is a recognized leader in west suburban Cook County, assisting over 2,500 individuals and families each year with our comprehensive wraparound support from the onset of a housing crisis to its resolution.
To learn more or get involved, visit housingforward.org, email or call 708-338-1724