Sandra’s Story: Older Adult Homelessness
Sandra Johnson’s Experience with Homelessness as an Older Adult
Sandra Johnson’s motto is, “I shall pass this way but once; any kindness I can do, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.” And once you get to know her, you realize that she truly lives her life by those words.
More than anything else, Sandra cares deeply for other people. Family comes first for her, but that kindness also shines in her lifelong volunteerism and career in customer service.
Yet, Sandra’s life has also been full of battles. She lost her husband to a tragic accident at a young age, raised her four young children on her own, and fought cancer and chronic illnesses more than once. When her former employer outsourced most of their customer service work, she lost her job and began battling with something new: homelessness as an older adult.
How Homelessness Can Happen to Older Adults
“I lost my home in 2006,” Sandra explained. “It was a drawn-out process, and all I could do was watch as my retirement and other savings slowly disappeared.” Sandra’s mother also passed away during this time. Between funeral expenses, medical debt, and a mortgage, there was nothing Sandra could do to save her home.
“So, I went from staying with my church family, to staying with my actual family, to staying in my car – until it was towed one day,” Sandra said.
For the next six years, Sandra experienced homelessness, albeit not in the way most people envision it. During those years, Sandra found work whenever possible, cared for family members who had fallen ill, and even managed to continue volunteering at the Sabathani Community Center to help seniors with computer literacy. In fact, many people who knew Sandra at that time had no idea she was experiencing homelessness.
The Importance of Deeply Affordable Housing
But in April of 2012, one of Sandra’s friends learned about her housing situation and recommended a deeply affordable place to live. That’s how Sandra discovered Catholic Charities Evergreen Residence, an 88-unit permanent housing program near Target Field in Minneapolis.
Sandra has lived at Evergreen since then, and has said that, “it has been like a safe haven for me; it provided stability in the midst of my instability.” Now, Sandra can engage even more deeply in her community. She enjoys cooking meals to share with her neighbors every Tuesday, continues to volunteer, and advocates for her community at the Minnesota Capitol.
“When I moved in here, I realized that my journey is not over,” Sandra said. “I know what it’s like to be homeless, and I know what it’s like to eat ramen 365 days a year. But now I never have to worry.”
“When I moved in here, I realized that my journey is not over,” Sandra said. “I know what it’s like to be homeless, and I know what it’s like to eat ramen 365 days a year. But now I never have to worry.”
Sandra Uses her Voice at the Capitol
Sandra brought her lived experience to the Minnesota Homeless Day on the Hill. Sandra explained, “I was there to make a difference, to make a change—to represent the homeless.” Sandra testified in a public meeting, was interviewed by the Star Tribune, and met Senator Scott Dibble. “As legislators, we look at legislation, we look at spreadsheets,” said Dibble. “And those are very important, but they’re a bit abstract. They become humanized and contextualized when we meet people.”
