The Homeward Pikes Peak Street Outreach Team first met John after receiving a referral from one of the Clean and Safe Ambassadors who partners with the team through downtown outreach efforts. Two Street Outreach team members connected with him at Acacia Park, where they found him sleeping outside near the stage. At first, John was closed off and guarded—understandably cautious after years of surviving on his own.

Over time, the Street Outreach Team completed a housing assessment with John, ensuring he was placed on the list of individuals in need of housing when an appropriate opportunity became available. More importantly, the team continued to show up. Whenever paperwork needed to be completed, they knew exactly where to find him—tucked into the same small alcove near the stage at Acacia Park.

That consistency mattered.

“Your continued follow-up and keeping of promises are what kept me engaged with your services and ultimately led to me being housed,” John shared.

When John contracted MRSA while living in the park, the Street Outreach Team visited him in the hospital and remained in close contact throughout his inpatient stay and after his discharge. During the winter months, the team helped him find safer shelter options to protect him from frostbite while continuing to support him through the long wait for his housing voucher approval.

John is 73 years old and experienced homelessness for 23 years. For the last two of those years, he lived in Acacia Park without reliable access to food, water, or restrooms while managing serious health challenges. Through Homeward Pikes Peak’s Clean and Safe outreach program, the Street Outreach Team worked alongside him for eight months—building trust, providing compassionate support, and navigating complex systems—to help him secure permanent supportive housing.

Today, John is finally home.

He now has a safe place to call his own, pays just 30% of his income toward rent, and has access to ongoing supportive services through Homeward Pikes Peak. For the first time in more than two decades, John is sleeping safely in his own bed—and will continue to do so for the rest of his life.