Michael's Story

A painter and a former student of the Museum School of Fine Arts, Michael lived and worked in Boston until he was 44 years old. And then, according to him, "I started drinking. I wound up homeless - pretty much living on the street off and on for eight years of my life. For 17 years I had worked in a gallery on Newbury Street and then for a number of years after that I found myself sleeping in the alley behind Newbury Street."

On one of those cold nights spent sleeping in the streets, Michael lost most of his foot to frost bite. As he recovered from his injury, he began the recovery process for his addiction as well. Michael started working with a HomeStart Housing First advocate and quickly moved to his own home.

When Michael realized that he was going to get his own apartment, he says he felt "incredible relief. I just wasn't sure how I was going to get a place otherwise. Housing First turned out to be absolutely tailor made. I'm sure it accommodates a lot of people's situations. It seems pretty flexible to me. If I had to have searched for housing on my own, I would have found something, but it would have taken a lot longer without HomeStart."

Since moving into his home over two and a half years ago, Michael's been able to "catch up with the 21st century," as he likes to say. Two years ago, Michael admits he couldn't even send an email. Now he balances his time between graphic design and tending to his verdant indoor gardens and lush, tree frog-inhabited terrariums.