Shaun has the cool and casual manner of a skateboarder, a hobby he enjoyed during his mid-teens when he visited Seattle from Pierce County. His shaggy, faded blue hair and easygoing nature suggest he’s still a skater at heart. “For me, homelessness started when I was 14. I was in foster care a lot. I ran away. I was on the streets and couch surfing. I had a place for a while [but] I ended up losing my job and became homeless again at 23. I experienced homelessness for about 17 years. I went to the hospital and that’s how I got into Plymouth Housing. I got my apartment in 2017. I’ve been here for the past five years.”
Shaun with his Housing Case Manager, Tiphanie, at Plymouth Housing.
Plymouth provided Shaun with a permanent roof over his head and a place to call his own. “These keys right here mean freedom. I can go in and out of my spot whenever. It’s good to feel that way.”
In addition to housing, Plymouth also provided Shaun with support so he could thrive. Relieved of the constant struggle of finding a place to live, Shaun was able to rebuild his life. “I got my prosthetic leg. And I got my teeth, got my glasses. [Before Plymouth,] I kept putting it off and putting it off. My case manager, she got the appointments for those for me. I wouldn’t trade her or give her up for nothing. It’s important to have support staff at Plymouth. They know what they’re doing. They’ve been doing it for years. I wouldn’t have got a lot of stuff if it wasn’t for my case manager lighting those fires beneath me so I could go take care of what I needed to take care of.”
Shaun is very transparent about the emotional journey he’s made in that time: “Before I moved in to Plymouth, I really didn’t like people. When I first moved in, I felt warmth, scared, anxious, and happy. All at the same time. It felt like there was love there. There’s a lot of care within the staff. They come to work [with] smiles on their face and joke around. It makes you feel more at home. It changed me. I love everybody now.
Shaun now lives without the stress of constant uncertainty and allows himself to think into the future and ponder a possible return to the kind of simple pleasures he enjoyed in his youth. “One of my personal goals is to go dancing again. I want to learn how to swing dance.” Adding, with an easy laugh and a mischievous gleam in his eye, “I hope my leg doesn’t fall off!”
Shaun’s story of hope and healing is just one of hundreds lived by Plymouth Housing residents. Their strength, determination, and compassion for their neighbors inspires us every day. Thank you for joining us in our shared commitment to provide them with homes, support, and the chance to rebuild their lives.