Roberto J. — A Place of His Own

Roberto grew up in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood, where he lived for most of his life. For 35 years, he worked two jobs — in the auto parts industry and in event security, but during the pandemic, these industries shut down.

“I was able to survive for a while,” Roberto says. “I gave up my apartment and started renting less expensive rooms, but when that got to be too much. I ended up sleeping on friends’ couches. I had never been homeless in my life and I couldn’t believe that after working all those years, this could happen to me.”

Roberto came to the Men’s Inn shelter in January 2023. “The realities of shelter life can be challenging. I wanted to do something positive so I served on a shelter consumer advisory board to strategize ways to improve the shelter experience.”

Roberto worked with his case manager to find permanent housing. “My case manager was amazing,” Roberto says. “She helped me get my birth certificate and social security card so I could fill out housing applications. Pine Street also paid for Uber rides so I could look at apartments.”

Recently, Roberto moved into his own apartment. ”Having a place of my own is the best feeling in the world, especially after being homeless for so long,” says Roberto. The neighbors have all been welcoming, and I feel safe here. I’m looking forward to my future.”

When asked for advice he would give others experiencing homelessness, Roberto says, “Get help. Pine Street is here to support people in getting back on their feet.”