Starting over
Starting Over: From Houseless to Hopeful
Last June, I was unhoused and in the hospital. I spent July 4th at a Motel 6 in Eugene, Oregon, dealing with the police and a legal issue that changed the course of my life. That same month, I walked into the Salvation Army with nothing but the clothes on my back and a need for help. I didn’t know it then, but that was the moment things began to turn around. Since that day, God has provided in ways I could not have imagined.
Being unhoused taught me how quickly life can unravel — and how much strength it takes to put it back together. Piece by piece, I began taking care of the things that fell apart. I applied for HUD housing in Arkansas because I needed stability, a safe place to call my own. The process meant confronting my past on paper: credit checks, rental history, background checks. I had a court case from that difficult time in Eugene. That case was dismissed. Now I am applying for expungement, so I can close that chapter fully. I also filed for bankruptcy to clear the debt that piled up when I had no income and no home. These were not easy steps. They required me to face shame, paperwork, and waiting. But each step was part of taking responsibility and moving forward.
Today, I am mentally stable. I’m working on my diet, eating better, and getting to the gym. My body and mind feel stronger than they have in years. I truly feel that God has blessed me in so many ways. I went from a hospital bed and a motel room with police at the door, to a job, a recovery routine, and a future I’m building.
Now I’m praying that the HUD home comes through. If it does, I’ll be closer to my sister and my brother and his family in Texas. Family is part of healing. Being near them would mean support, Sunday dinners, and not doing life alone. It would also mean stability while I continue with the PhD program at National University. Starting over doesn’t mean forgetting the past — it means using it. My lived experience is why I’m pursuing advanced study. I want to understand systems, research solutions, and help others who are where I was last June.
Applying for HUD housing while filing for expungement and bankruptcy is not the story I would have chosen. But it is the story that brought me here: housed, working, learning, and grateful. I’m not done yet. I still have apartments to tour, and assignments to turn in for Foundations of Advanced Graduate Study and Research. But I’m not unhoused anymore. I’m not hopeless anymore. I’m continuing with life — and that is all I want to do.
*Cathrynmharris
