Success Stories

In March 2025, more than 15 households became homeless when a small fire led to the Fire Marshall condemning the illegally converted warehouse where they were living. The police department called CORE Mobile Outreach to provide support to the displaced families and CORE was soon working with Ana and Mayra, both monolingual Spanish speakers. The friends had combined their meager savings to pay for a hotel room for themselves and their six children but found themselves running out of money and options quickly. Mayra recalls, “Ana and I applied for multiple units but we were starting to lose faith. We had spent the majority of our savings in a hotel, and landlords were denying our applications due to our low income.”

A CalAIM program manager providing translation support to the CORE team discovered that the families were eligible for additional housing support through the CalAIM ECM program. After confirming that the families wanted to try to live together, the staffer quickly identified a four-bedroom house in East County and secured the deposit, first month’s rent, and household essentials through the ECM program. “The financial support was the most helpful because we had spent our savings on hotels,” Mayra shares. “The support from [our Program Manager], negotiating with the landlord and explaining the program, was crucial in getting us approved for the house.”

Now, Ana and Mayra’s families have a stable home. Their children have space to play, their financial stress has eased, and they are looking ahead with renewed hope. Mayra says, "Our life is stable since getting this house that we can afford. Our kids are much happier now with having a room and a backyard to play in. Our anxiety is not as high knowing we can pay the rent and bills without having to borrow money."

Mayra says, "To all the single mothers, please don't give up even when the world seems like a dark place. Even when it seems like the world is against you, never give up and don't be afraid to ask for help”.

To community members, Mayra says, "Please advocate for more low-income housing in Contra Costa”.