Krystal walks into the facility at a fast clip – slightly late for our meeting because she caught the bus after spending the night in her very own apartment. Her first night in her own space in more than five years. Even without furniture, slated to arrive in just a few days. She couldn’t resist the euphoric feeling of being in her very own apartment after years of fighting the elements, sweeps, crime and prejudice on the streets.
Krystal came to the Stockton Blvd Safe Stay in January – just two weeks after it first opened. With her, she brought her dog, a German Shepard/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix – complete with large, floppy ears and curious eyes. She remembers the day she got the chance to come to the shelter. After months of calling 2-1-1, going through and graduating various mental health programs and inpatient treatment, her name was finally called for a Behavioral Health Bridge Housing (BHBH) bed at the Stockton facility. These beds are specifically earmarked for folks experiencing both homelessness and mental health challenges.
Krystal acknowledges that she’s struggled with mental health challenges for years. While she doesn’t feel like these challenges contributed to her homelessness, they were certainly exacerbated during her time unsheltered. “I actually chose this. Not because I wanted to be homeless, specifically, but because I had already lost everything, so what else did I have to lose?”
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Krystal was adopted as a baby and was extremely close to her mom. But after her mother unexpectedly passed, Krystal felt so alone and lost. She worked three jobs just to support herself in Santa Cruz. But in 2019 she got sick for a prolonged period of time – resulting in the loss of all her jobs and eventually, eviction from her apartment.
Again, feeling alone and lost, Krystal reconnected with her sister in Sacramento, sleeping on her couch and feeling more and more unhappy with her situation. Her sister knew it wouldn’t last. Krystal has always had a free spirit and didn’t enjoy being tied down. And then one day, it happened.
Krystal took her dog for a quick Target run, tied up her Pomeranian outside while she ran in. When she came back out, her dog was gone. She searched all over the parking lot and nearby areas – which led her to a homeless encampment across the street. While asking tent after tent if they had or had seen her dog, a tall man with blond hair and blue eyes stepped out. Krystal describes it as love at first sight.
While she unfortunately never found her stolen pup, Krystal did find two other things that day: love and a new way of life.
Over the next four years, Krystal and her boyfriends moved from place to place in Sacramento, as they were swept and had to relocate. They were very intentional about keeping their encampment and themselves clean. “We never ‘looked homeless’, we always made sure we were clean, our stuff was picked up.” And while Krystal acknowledges she “chose this life” when she made a choice to move in with the man she met, the shine of perceived freedom soon wore off due to the hardships of living outdoors, being subject to crime and prejudice on the streets.
Managing her mental health challenges was even more difficult on the streets. Fortunately, Krystal was connected with Turning Point – a local non-profit committed to empowering people of all ages and identities to live their best life through the delivery of quality behavioral health and social services.
Ultimately, Krystal realized that true freedom isn’t living homeless because you can “do whatever you want” – it’s the security that comes with a roof over your head and a locking door. It’s not waiting to be swept or a victim of crime. It’s safety for you, your loved ones and your beloved pet.
“I was so tired of always being on guard, waiting to be swept and having to move. Losing our possessions. It is so tiring and stressful. I knew we were better than the life we were living. And my dog deserved better – he didn’t choose this life. I wanted to come inside for him too.”
In January, Krystal and her German Shepard/Rhodesian Ridgeback dog were accepted into a Behavioral Health Bridging Housing (BHBH) bed at the recently opened Stockton Blvd Safe Stay. The BHBH program offers short- and mid-term shelter for people experiencing homelessness who also have serious mental illness (SMI) or substance use disorder (SUD). This program helps participants move toward stable, long-term housing by filling the gap between being homeless and finding a permanent place to live.
Because of her previous experience with Turning Point, Krystal was already document ready and approved for housing within weeks of moving into the Stockton Safe Stay Community. But even being short-listed for housing and propped up by the numerous supports First Step Communities, the operator of Stockton, provided her Krystal still waited nearly eight months for keys to her own place.
But in those eight months she was able to decompress, stabilize, research school and job opportunities and picture her life after she moved into housing. For Krystal, its Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) – a place where not only is she supported for a year financially, but on-site case managers and mental health clinicians that can hold her accountable to her own wellness.
We asked Krystal what she would say to people that judge the homeless – “Try being homeless. It is scary – most people could never survive. But it isn’t what you think. We’re real people, with real struggles. I was housed, I was working three jobs and then I got sick and lost everything. That could happen to anyone.”
What about folks still experiencing homelessness? “This place [Stockton Blvd Safe Stay] is set up for success. But you have to work it. You have to use the resources available, and do the work and listen to what they tell you. If you do that, you will find housing eventually. This model works if you work it. And it’s somewhere to be that is safe with people that care about you. I’ve been to other shelters, and they aren’t all like this.”
Now that Krystal has her own housing, she’s looking forward to permanently reunifying with her boyfriend, having friends over for a housewarming BBQ and finally going to culinary school at Consumnes River College. She specifically wants to learn the business side of restaurant ownership. Ultimately, she wants to open her own taco truck. What is she going to name it? “My mom’s name was Rita – seems perfect to work into the name of a taco truck!”