When Marcus, a veteran who works in the IT field, told his fiancé Aria she needed to fill out yet another set of papers before getting the keys to their new condominium, Aria’s heart sank. For the past few months, Marcus, Aria, and their three teenaged children were living in emergency hotel assistance due to not being able to afford their rent. This condo was their last resort.

Marcus and Aria had built a life for themselves in Santa Cruz, with their oldest son working at a local restaurant and their younger children attending school. But Aria’s contract as a traveling nurse ended, and they were not able to pay for their current housing.

With the pressure of finding a permanent solution for his family mounting, Marcus met with a Supportive Services for Veterans and their Families (SSVF) team member at Housing Matters. Together, he, Aria and SSVF built a housing plan to ensure their family would not end up in their car or the streets.

The family remained in a hotel for 45 days with the assistance of SSVF. During this time, Aria was able to get a new nursing job to increase her income. With the help of a SSVF case manager, the family found a satisfactory unit and moved into their new condo. Marcus surprised Aria with the keys to their home, and she glowed with happiness knowing the hard wait of not knowing what would happen next for her family was over.