Mohamed

After fleeing war in East Africa, Mohamed and his family found stability in public housing as they built a new life in the U.S. Struggling to learn English and keep up in school, a volunteer tutor helped him gain confidence and fall in love with reading. Inspired, he began tutoring others, eventually volunteering over 1,700 hours with youth programs. In college, he became editor-in-chief of the student paper and served on his city’s Immigrant & Refugee Commission. Now a Stanford student, Mohamed plans to attend law school and advocate for immigrant communities.
“When one person believes in you, everything can change,” he says.

Jeff

After an injury left him unable to work, Jeff became homeless — living out of his car, carrying everything he owned in his trunk, and feeling like a burden to his family. Struggling with anxiety and depression, his life began to change when he received a Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) voucher. Today, Jeff and his son have a stable home with space of their own, and he’s now attending college.
“Housing gave me a better outlook on life — it made life feel more complete,” he says.

Brittany

Raised by a single mom on housing assistance, Brittany faced early challenges — dropping out of school, raising her son alone, and juggling odd jobs while facing homelessness. Everything changed when she received public housing, later transitioning to a Housing Choice Voucher. With support from job training and the Family Self-Sufficiency program, Brittany found stability and purpose.
“Now, I feel secure — like I can do life on my own,” she says. Her next goals? Climb the career ladder and one day own a home.