Eight years ago, Randy was homeless. After a workplace injury, he developed an addiction to the medication his doctor prescribed. That led him to lose his home and spend many difficult years navigating homelessness.
He lived on the streets for a while and then at a shelter. The staff there helped him find a home with Aeon, and within a few months he was clean. Having a safe, stable home with support from Simpson Housing Services allowed Randy to get care for both his physical and mental health.
He said discovering Aeon helped save his life and gave him an opportunity to restart. “I still remember the first night that I got my room. How much safer I was, how grateful I was that I had been given this opportunity,” Randy said.
Randy also looks forward to maintaining his stability. He has been sober since finding his home with Aeon. “I’m at a point now where I can smile through the tears and realize that things are better now – because they are,” Randy said.
Randy wants things to be better for other people experiencing homelessness, too. That’s why, In 2021, a Resident Connections staff member connected Randy to ELP when he indicated an interest in helping others find the stability he now has. At first, he wasn’t sure how he could help and was nervous about speaking publicly about his experience. So instead, the ELP facilitator helped him write a letter of written testimony.
After that, speaking in front of the legislature seemed more doable. Over the 2023 legislative session, Randy provided testimony, interacted with his legislators six times, and supported the passage of the largest housing bill in state history.
“If you’d have asked me a few years ago,” he says, “I never thought I could do this. But it’s important. If my story can help other people not have to go through what I did, then it’s worth it.”
