Success stories

Read some of the amazing stories of our LAFH participants and residents.

Koya

After surviving stage three ovarian cancer while incarcerated, Koya returned home determined to rebuild her life. But with no job or stable housing, she and her children spent three years moving between couches, family homes, and their car.

Through the Department of Mental Health, Koya was connected to LA Family Housing, where a case manager secured interim housing her youngest child called “our castle.” In May last year, she was approved for a permanent home at The Emerald, an LAFH-owned Permanent Supportive Housing site — a birthday gift she’ll never forget.

Today, Koya is training as a peer support specialist, entering the same field that helped her out of homelessness. Her family is thriving, and her dreams of homeownership feel within reach. LAFH didn’t just give them shelter; they gave them dignity, hope, and stability.

Nora

Nora endured heartbreaking hardships — childhood abuse, teenage pregnancy, and an unstable home. After ninth grade, she had her first child and left school. An abusive partner was eventually arrested, leaving her to care for nine children alone. Giving birth the same day she was evicted, Nora and her children were forced to live in her car, facing cold nights, hunger, and fear.

At her lowest, Nora found LA Family Housing. She feared losing her children, but LAFH provided interim housing, stability, and critical support — helping her secure documents, enroll her children in school, and access mental health care. For the first time, she felt heard and empowered.

With LAFH’s Housing Navigation team, Nora found a permanent home. LAFH continued to provide job support and financial coaching, and Nora began work as a caregiver — a role she loves.

Today, she and her children have stability, hope, and a home. Thanks to LAFH, Nora has become the strong, independent woman she always hoped to be.

Lorena

When Lorena’s partner became abusive, she faced a reality she never wanted for her three children. With no family nearby, she worked two jobs but still couldn’t afford rent, and the family was forced to live in their car.

Once connected with LA Family Housing, Lorena’s path to stability began. They moved into interim housing, her children received tutoring and school supplies through School on Wheels, and LAFH’s Mental Health team helped her heal from years of trauma. She also accessed credit repair, child care, and employment services to regain her financial footing.

With the help of LAFH’s Housing Navigation and Housing Location teams, Lorena’s family moved into a home of their own. Today, with continued stabilization services, they are building a more secure and hopeful future.

Tiesha

Tiesha, a Los Angeles native and mother of five, fled her home with her three youngest children to escape an abusive relationship. Heartbroken and afraid, she left her eldest children with their aunt and moved to a small, inexpensive place in Vegas. After five years of being separated from her children, Tiesha wanted to come home.  Reuniting was bittersweet because it also meant that the family was too large to stay with relatives. With nowhere to turn, Tiesha’s family found themselves on the streets.

Tiesha’s sister told her about LA Family Housing, which placed the family in crisis housing as they worked to find them a permanent home. After eight months of searching, Tiesha got the call from her Housing Navigator letting her know they had finally found them a home. “My eyes lit up like Christmas. It was time for me to go. I looked at my kids and I said, ‘You guys ready to go home? We have a house!’”