Rose believes that the universe provides, just as it did when she attended an event sponsored by MATS and the library last year. She went to hear Lita Judge talk about her book. There she found out about MATS and met the program director, Susan Howard.
Rose, 78, had been homeless once before during the pandemic. She planned to rent an apartment after she returned from a cross-country road trip, but then realized she needed to pay the first and last month’s rent in advance. This was not possible, so she pitched a large tent in her son’s backyard, stretched an electric cord from his house, and bought a stove to cook her meals. She loved it—the weather was mild, and she was in nature.
However, the living situation proved unsustainable, prompting Rose and her son to agree to her relocation. Luckily, a woman who needed help with transportation and clearing out her house let Rose set up her tent in her backyard and continue roughing it.
But winter was on its way. By the time of the first snowfall, Rose had cleared her employer’s house out enough to move into it. As time went on, her employer became ill and died. The family asked Rose to stay and look after the house. Later, a buyer made a cash offer on the house, and Rose had to leave. She managed her homelessness by lining up pet-sitting gigs, but by the time she met Susan, she had nowhere to go.
Until she met Susan at the library last November, Rose had never heard of MATS. She also did not know how much more MATS does than shelter people. They helped Rose find resources in the town and elsewhere to get a much-needed root canal and to find a way to finance her car repairs. MATS helped her apply for subsidized housing and continues to help Rose with budgeting to prepare for the future.
“Susan encourages me to think about what I want. She doesn’t want me to settle for a place that doesn’t fit my lifestyle,” Rose said.
Recently, a family asked Rose to house-sit for one or two years. Rose feared losing her spot on the housing list if she said yes. However, Susan pointed out that this was an advantage because Rose no longer has to jump at the first thing that comes up, since she has a place to live right now.
Rose started house-sitting a few weeks ago after Susan helped her draft an agreement with her house-sitting clients, ensuring a fair exit if more permanent housing arose. Rose continues working with MATS, securing housing and managing her budget. When she finds permanent housing, she will be able to navigate the cost of paying for her apartment and other expenses.
“There is an abundance of help in the Monadnock region. I prefer to solve problems on my own, so I don’t seek help,” Rose reflected. “I understand how difficult it is to ask for it when you need it.”
She realized through MATS that asking leads to positive changes. Their continued support prepares people for a future with secure housing and a plan for how to sustain it.
Elizabeth Goodhue serves on the board of the Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter, which provides transitional housing, support and referral services to people who are experiencing homelessness, to educate the community on issues of homelessness and to advocate for solutions.