Beth was 32 years old when her third child was born.

What began as postpartum depression evolved into something far more severe, a mental illness that quickly took over her life. Her husband tried everything: appointments, medication adjustments, and schedule changes. He loved her and wanted to help.

But they also had three children who needed stability.

Even though she was ill, Beth knew that she was doing more harm than good for her children, so without telling anyone, she left without warning. She had nowhere to go, but she knew it was better than staying and inflicting more pain on her family, or so she thought. That was the first night of many she would sleep on the streets.

Beth disappeared for three years.

Her husband didn’t know where she was. Her children, ranging from an infant to teenagers, asked about her. He told them the truth as gently as he could: “Mom is sick. We’re hoping she gets better.”

The Years on the Street

Beth lived unhoused for nearly three years.

Not by choice. But because severe mental illness makes it nearly impossible to navigate the systems designed to help. Beth couldn’t hold down a job, attend appointments, track time, or access the support network available to help. She felt shame for leaving her children and was convinced she didn’t deserve it.

Beth slept hidden away where she could. She avoided crowds. She survived, barely.

Mental illness doesn’t just affect the person experiencing it; these conditions can fracture entire families, creating years of loss that can never be fully recovered.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness each year. For some, it becomes severe enough to disrupt every aspect of life, like Beth’s life.

The Shelter Door

Three years after leaving her home, Beth walked through our shelter doors at Nest.

Exhausted. Barely holding on. But ready to get help, prepared to fight for her life and her family.

We connected Beth to community partners that could help, and our case manager at Nest. The medication adjustments took time. Beth connected with a Flight School instructor who helped her begin rebuilding her life. She worked hard, and during that time, we were able to provide a stable place for her while she learned to regulate after years of chaos.

Beth began building routines and slowly became herself again.

And when she felt stable enough, she did something brave: she reached out to her husband.

The Bridge Home

Beth didn’t ask to come home. She asked if she could see her children.

Her husband, who had never stopped loving her, said yes, but carefully. He had spent three years protecting their children from unpredictability. He wasn’t going to undo that without ensuring Beth was stable.

They started with supervised visits. Short ones at a park. Lunch at the zoo.

Beth showed up every time. Present. Medicated. Stable. Fighting to prove she could be the mother her children needed.

The visits went well. They got longer. More frequent.

Then Beth’s sister-in-law, her husband’s sister, made an offer that changed everything: “Come live with me.” The timing was perfect because Beth had just begun to look for housing.

Her sister-in-law lived next door to Beth’s family home, where her children lived. This was the chance for Beth to be close to her children while maintaining boundaries that everyone needed.

The Reconnection

Beth sees her children regularly now, and this holiday season is filled with hugs, laughter, and love.

Her youngest, who was a baby when she left, is learning who their mother is. Her middle child, who carried anger for years, is slowly softening. Her oldest, a teenager now, asks the hard questions: “Why did you leave? Where were you? Are you going to leave again?”

Beth answers honestly. She tells them about mental illness, about how her brain got sick, and how she’s working every day to stay healthy.

Her husband supports her reconciliation with her children. He knows that it’s essential for the children to have their mother in their lives. But he’s also cautious, watching to ensure Beth stays stable, stays medicated, stays committed to treatment.

It’s complicated. Messy. Not a fairy tale ending, but still solid progress for this entire family.

What Recovery Still Looks Like

Beth takes her medication every day. She attends therapy weekly. She has routines. She works part-time. She spends time with her kids on a schedule that works for everyone.

Recovery from severe mental illness isn’t “getting better and being done.” It’s lifelong management.

Beth will always have a mental illness. But now she has treatment, support, stability, and community.

She has her children back in her life, not the way it was before, but in a new way that honors what everyone needs. Beth volunteers regularly at Nest, wanting to give back to the organization that has helped give her so much. We remain an important part of Beth’s community.

How You Can Help

Right now, there are mothers and fathers separated from their children because mental illness has made it impossible to parent safely. Families are hoping for a reunion, but do not know if it will ever happen.

Beth lost three years to being unhoused and to untreated mental illness. She’s not losing anymore.

She has three children who are learning to trust her again. She has a family that loves her and wants her to succeed. She has support that makes recovery possible.

There are more people like Beth who need us.

Your support allows us to be there for them.

The post Beth’s Story: This Year’s Holiday Comes with Hugs appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

Standing Together in the Cold

“If we can’t stand this for half an hour to an hour, we really need to think about the other side of the coin and the people that we’re helping,” shared Harrison Holtkamp, the Executive Director of Nest, as he welcomed the crowd. “There are times that they don’t get to choose when to come in and get warm, when to seek help.”

His words set the tone for an evening that was equal parts sobering and uplifting, but a constant reminder that while the holidays bring joy to many, they compound the struggles of those without a place to call home.

Finding Jesus in the Manger, and on Our Streets

Pastor Mark Reshan from St. Paul’s opened our hearts with a powerful reflection on the Christmas story we often overlook: Mary and Joseph were essentially unhoused when Jesus was born.

“There was no place for them in the inn,” Pastor Reshan reminded us, drawing a direct line from that Bethlehem cave to the work we do today. He shared how Jesus later said, “Birds have nests and foxes have holes, but I have nowhere to lay my head,” explaining why Christ so closely identified with the unhoused, the sick, and the poor.

“As people of faith, we help those in need, not because it’s our civic duty,” he said, “but because in so doing, we meet Jesus. And at this time of year, especially, it’s hard to imagine a better Christmas gift than that.”

A City That Cares

Council Member Greg Coulter brought greetings from Michigan City’s First Ward and offered heartfelt thanks for NEST’s work and Harry’s advocacy.

“Harry is an advocate for the homeless community in Michigan City,” Coulter shared. “While other people might be quick to use some degrading words, Harry is kind and reminds us to call our brothers and sisters people.”

His words underscored a vital truth: the city cannot do this work alone; it takes partners like NEST and supporters to truly serve all residents.

United in Spirit, Bound by Peace

Erica Boyd, Nest Board Member, reminded us that we each have been given gifts to share with others. Reading from Ephesians 4, she called us to be “humble and gentle, patient with each other,” and to support “those who are less fortunate than us.”

“We’ve gathered today in humility and peace,” she said, her voice full of gratitude for everyone who chose to stand together on that cold evening.

Beyond Emergency Shelter: Building Pathways Home

Mickey Ferrantella brought a unique perspective as a volunteer with the Indiana Department of Corrections who teaches construction skills and pastors a church inside the prison. His connection with NEST began just two weeks ago when one of his church members was released and found himself unhoused.

“I found a partner,” Mickey shared with evident joy. “I found a partner that I can partner with for people who leave my church family in prison.”

His vision for transitional housing reminded us that helping our unhoused neighbors isn’t just about emergency shelter, it’s about creating pathways to stability, dignity, and hope.

You Are the Light

Pastor Roscoe Hoffman closed the speaking portion of our evening with a beautiful meditation on light. “You are the light of the world,” he declared, reminding us that in older days, a light in the window or smoke from the chimney signaled warmth and welcome inside.

“It’s a lot harder nowadays to see the warmth on the inside because we hide the warmth on the inside and keep it for ourselves,” he reflected. “But what you’re doing here is the warmth on the inside is showing, so people can see that there’s a light on the inside.”

His challenge was clear: be the signal that someone in need is searching for. “You may be the only signal that they ever see. So, let’s make it a good one.”

An Evening of Community and Support

As Peter Bailey led the crowd in joyful holiday carols, voices rose together in the cold night air, a beautiful reminder that we are stronger together. Hot cocoa, generously sponsored by JOYRide and South Bend Chocolate Café at Lighthouse Place, warmed hands and hearts as neighbors shared conversation and fellowship.

The evening concluded with a small collection, allowing those present to contribute directly to NEST’s mission. But perhaps more valuable than the funds raised was the awareness kindled and the community bonds strengthened.

The Work Continues

NEST Community Shelter remains LaPorte County’s only emergency shelter for men, women, and women with children. Since 2001, we’ve been serving Michigan City, and since 2020, we’ve called our current location home. Our LaPorte location, now in its second season, is extending this vital work throughout the county.

The stories our guests could tell, of triumph over insurmountable odds, of survival against all expectations, of finding hope when it seemed lost, these are the stories that drive us forward. Every day, we have the privilege of being a seat at the table for those who aren’t invited, a voice for the voiceless, and a stand-up for people who can’t stand up for themselves.

How You Can Help

As we move deeper into this season of giving, we invite you to consider how you might be a light in someone’s darkness:

• Donate: Your financial support provides emergency shelter, warm meals, and essential services to our most vulnerable neighbors.

• Volunteer: Share your time and talents to make a direct impact.

• Advocate: Help us remind our community to see our unhoused neighbors as people—our brothers and sisters.
• Spread the Word: Share our mission with others who might want to help.

This holiday season, as you gather with loved ones in the warmth of your homes, remember those who are still searching for that light in the window, that smoke from the chimney, that signal of welcome and warmth.

Together, we can ensure that no one in LaPorte County has to face the cold alone.

The post Light in the Darkness: NEST’s 2nd Annual Candlelight Gathering Illuminates Community Support appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

David is 67 years old.

At an age when most of his peers are enjoying retirement, David is his son’s full-time caregiver.

Ben is 25. Several years ago, he incurred a traumatic brain injury. The specifics of how it happened matter less than what followed: Ben’s life changed entirely. He needs structure, routine, and predictability. When his environment shifts unexpectedly, it can take hours, sometimes days, for him to regain his sense of peace.

David and Ben lived in an apartment for three years, then the complex was sold to a property management company. The apartment wasn’t fancy, a modest two-bedroom that suited Ben’s needs perfectly. Ben knew every corner; he’d grown up there and felt safe there. He had his routines, morning coffee at the kitchen table by the window. Afternoon walks around the same block. Evening TV in his room, door cracked open so David could hear if he needed anything.

Then the rent increases started shortly after the sale of the complex went through.

First, $50 a month. Then $75. Then $120.

David’s income is fixed: his Social Security check and Ben’s disability payments. Together, they bring in $2,100 a month.

The rent climbed to $1,400.

Then $1,550.

Then $2,000.

David did the math over and over, as if the numbers would change. They never did.

After the first rent increase, the remaining balance was incredibly tight. After rent, they had $450 left for everything else: utilities, food, Ben’s medications, transportation, clothing, and David’s own medical expenses as his mobility declined.

It wasn’t enough, and the situation escalated quickly.

David tried to go back to work. At 67, with knees that barely supported him and a back that screamed every time he bent down, he took a part-time job stocking shelves at a grocery store. He lasted six weeks before his body gave out.

This is the reality for thousands of aging caregivers: disability payments don’t even begin to cover the actual cost of living, let alone caring for a dependent.  Affordable housing has become a fantasy for so many in our community.

Three months ago, David and Ben were evicted.

The Motel

Left with no other options, they moved into a motel. $275 a week, paid every Friday. No lease. No deposit.

The motel was chaos.

Doors slamming at all hours. Shouting from neighboring rooms. Hallways that smelled like smoke and stale food. Sirens outside every night.

For Ben, it was sensory overload.

He couldn’t establish routines because nothing was predictable; life changed daily at the motel. He couldn’t settle because the environment was constantly shifting. He stopped sleeping through the night. He became more anxious, more withdrawn.

David watched his son unravel and felt powerless. He kept the room as consistent as possible, but it wasn’t enough. Same breakfast every morning. Same walking route around the parking lot. But you can’t create stability in a place designed for temporary living.

After six weeks, David knew: this wasn’t sustainable.

Ben was getting worse, not better. And David was draining what little savings he had at $275 per week, $1,100 per month for a single room, which was making his son’s condition deteriorate.

The Shelter

When David and Ben arrived at our shelter, we knew immediately: this wasn’t going to be easy.

Emergency shelters are not designed for people like Ben. They’re loud. Crowded. Unpredictable.

Every night, guests are assigned mats based on availability. Tonight, David and Ben might be near the back corner. Tomorrow, they could be in the middle of the room. The next night, near the door.

For most guests, this is an inconvenience. For Ben, it’s disorienting. Sometimes distressing. He needs to know where he’ll be. He needs the same spot, the same spatial relationship to his surroundings. When that changes nightly, he struggles to process it.

Some nights, Ben can’t settle. He paces. He gets agitated. David stays up with him, soothing him, exhausted himself, but unable to rest until his son does.

What We’re Building Toward

Here’s what David and Ben are doing while they’re with us:

Saving money.

By not paying $1,100 a month to the motel, David is finally able to save. Every dollar that isn’t going to rent is going into an account. In three months, he’ll have enough for a security deposit on an apartment.

Connecting to services.

Our case manager is working with David to navigate the complex web of supports for caregivers and adults with disabilities:

• Long-term care coordination
• Medicaid waivers for home and community-based services
• Respite care so David can have breaks.
• Accessible housing programs
• Benefits counseling to maximize what they’re eligible for

David didn’t even know most of these services existed. He’s been doing this alone for years, burning himself out, with no roadmap.

Building a plan for stability.

David is 67. His mobility is declining. He won’t be able to care for Ben alone forever.

We’re helping him think long-term: What happens in five years? Ten? What supports does Ben need to live as independently as possible? What does sustainable caregiving look like?

For the first time in months, David has hope because he has a pathway. A plan. People in his corner who understand that disability payments don’t cover reality, that aging caregivers need support, and that families like his deserve more than crisis management.

The Numbers That Don’t Add Up

David and Ben’s story represents a systemic crisis.

Families with children are the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population in the United States, accounting for 40-50% of people experiencing homelessness. However, hidden within that statistic are families like David and Ben’s: adult children with disabilities and their aging caregivers, pushed out by costs they can’t control.

The average monthly Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) payment in 2024 was $1,537. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) averaged $698 per month. For many recipients, these payments represent their only income.

In not a single U.S. state can someone earning minimum wage or relying on disability payments afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. The math is simple, and it’s devastating:

Ben’s disability payments: $698/month David’s Social Security: $1,402/month Total monthly income: $2,100

Rent for a two-bedroom ground-floor apartment in our area: $1,400-$1,700/month.

That leaves $400-$700 for:

• Utilities
• Food
• Medications
• Medical copays
• Transportation
• Clothing
• Any emergency

There’s no room for error. One bill rises. One medical crisis. One rent increase.

And families like David and Ben’s fall through the cracks.

What Makes It More Difficult

Caring for an adult child with a disability is expensive in ways disability payments don’t account for:

• Special dietary needs
• Adaptive equipment
• Transportation to medical appointments and therapies
• Higher utility costs (medical equipment, temperature control needs)
• Professional care support
• Specialized clothing or supplies

And then there’s the invisible cost: David can’t work full-time because Ben needs him. At 67, with his own declining health, he must carefully balance his son’s needs and their financial survival.

Aging caregivers of adult children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable, most isolated, and most underserved populations experiencing homelessness.

Why We Exist

In 2024, 4% of our shelter guests were children. But that number doesn’t capture families like David and Ben’s, an aging father and his adult son, both vulnerable in different ways.

When we talk about unhoused families, we have to expand our definition. Family isn’t just parents with young kids. It’s aging caregivers with adult disabled children. It’s siblings raising siblings. It’s grandparents raising grandchildren.

These families love and care for their dependents and simply want stable housing for them. 

These unhoused families need case management that understands the complexity of their situations. They need connections to services they don’t even know exist. They need time to save money and plan for sustainable futures. They need someone to say: “You’re not alone. We’re going to figure this out together.”

David and Ben have been with us for five weeks now.

It hasn’t been perfect. Ben still struggles with the rotating sleeping arrangements. Some nights are more complicated than others.

But David is saving money. He’s connected to services. He’s sleeping better knowing he has support.

Last week, he told our case manager, “For the first time in two years, I don’t feel like I’m drowning alone.”

That’s why we do this.

How You Can Help

David and Ben are representative characters, but the families they represent are real.

Right now, there are aging caregivers trying to support adult children with disabilities on incomes that don’t cover the cost of living. Families are being priced out of housing because disability payments haven’t kept pace with rent.

Your donation provides what families like David and Ben’s desperately need:

• Emergency shelter so they stop draining resources on unsustainable motels.
• Case management that connects them to needed services, housing programs, and long-term supports
• Time and space to save money for permanent housing.
• Advocacy and navigation through complex systems; they can’t navigate alone.

This holiday season, we ask for your support to make David and Benjamin’s wish come true: stable, sustainable housing.

Every donation expands our capacity to serve families who don’t fit the traditional unhoused shelter model but desperately need help.

The post My Holiday Wish: David and Ben’s Story appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

The Gas Station Lifeline:

Emmy is now awake and buckled into the passenger’s side seat as her mother pulls into a gas station, so, Emmy can brush her teeth and get ready for school. Emmy’s mother knows to change their routine and not use the same bathroom every day. She glances in the back seat at the white dress shirt Emmy will need for tonight’s program. She needs to find a way to get it ironed while Emmy is at school.

Waiting for the right moment, a game that Emmy knows all too well, they grab their bag of toiletries and head for the bathroom. Emmy brushes her teeth, and her mother helps her comb her hair. She quickly washes with a washrag that they brought in and the soap from their bag. It’s not much of a wash, but it will have to do for this morning. Emmy’s mother pulls Emmy’s school clothes from her bag. They haven’t been washed yet, but she tries to circulate the clothing, so the other children don’t notice. Emmy is changing when there’s a knock at the door, and they both know their time is up. They put on their calm faces like they were just in to use the restroom, nothing more.

Emmy is dropped off at school, where she’ll have breakfast, and lunch will be provided as well. Emmy’s mother drives to the local restaurant where she’ll start her first shift of the day, praying that the tips are good and that there will still be time to get Emmy’s shirt ironed before tonight.

The Skill of Survival

To understand what that moment in the gas station bathroom really means, you need to understand the reality that families like Emmy’s are facing, living in vehicles.

Staying Warm: December in Indiana can be deadly. Families must quickly start their car engine to heat up or at least take the chill out of the air while carefully managing fuel. It’s impossible mathematics: fifteen minutes of heat, thirty minutes off. A quarter tank of gas might mean three nights of warmth or two days of getting to work. Children are more susceptible to cold, so parents layer every piece of clothing they own and position kids in the middle seat for shared body heat.

Finding safe places to park overnight adds another layer of stress: 24-hour store lots, hospital garages, church parking areas. The constant fear is a flashlight on the window at 2 AM and an officer saying, “You can’t stay here.”

Food Storage: There’s no refrigeration, no kitchen. A small cooler holds milk that spoils quickly, and ice that costs $2.50 per bag. Non-perishables, like peanut butter, crackers, and granola bars, live in the trunk, but the cold is just as bad as the heat sometimes for this food. School meals become the most reliable food source. Weekends and holidays mean hunger without careful planning.

Laundry: Cleaning clothes requires money and time, but most families resort to hand-washing underwear and socks in gas-station sinks at 5 AM, hanging damp clothes from car windows to dry. There is a distinct odor that washing can’t take away, one that only comes from living in a confined space with limited access to hot running water and regular laundry facilities.

Hygiene: Some days washing means baby wipes and sink “baths” in public restrooms, always watching the door, always hurrying before someone knocks. For the child getting ready for tonight’s Christmas pageant, this gas station bathroom is as close to privacy as she’ll get.

The Weight of Secrets

But the physical challenges are only part of the story. Then comes the exhausting work of hiding it all from peers because of the stigma surrounding being unhoused.

The Daily Performance: In Indiana, we know nearly 18,700 children experiencing homelessness were enrolled in Indiana schools in 2022-23, and most of them are trying desperately to blend in. They’ve memorized a fake address. They decline birthday party invitations. They eat lunch alone to avoid questions about where they live or what they did last night. They hide the shame and stigma of being unhoused.

Socialization for unhoused children is challenging, often leading to social isolation and impacting their ability to form relationships well into adulthood. Families work very hard to obscure their housing status from public view, carrying deep shame about not being able to provide. Every conversation becomes a threat assessment: Who’s asking too many questions? Who noticed the same shirt three days in a row? Did anyone see Mom drop them off from the obviously lived-in car?

The hypervigilance is consuming.

The Statistics Behind the Story

Indiana saw a 15% increase in homeless students from 2019 to 2022-23, but the numbers only hint at the scope:

• 1 in 30 American children experience homelessness—more than 2.5 million children each year.
• Unhoused individuals living in vehicles are more likely to be in households with children and are more likely to be women seeking safety.
• Many unhoused students are “doubled up,” sharing housing with others, making them essentially  almost impossible to count to understand the true magnitude of this issue for children.

The Learning Implications:

• 57% of unhoused students in Indiana passed early literacy assessments, 15 percentage points lower than housed students.
• Graduation rates are nine percentage points lower, with 20% of homeless students suspended compared to 10% of housed students in Indiana, according to a WFYI article published in February 2025.

The Invisible Crisis: Unhoused students face unique barriers beyond poverty, including frequent school transfers, lack of transportation, and the stigma and fear of homelessness. They’re sitting in classrooms right now, next to housed children, working harder than anyone realizes to appear normal.

Time for a Change:

This is the reality behind Emmy’s white shirt needing to be ironed, posing such a challenge for her mother. This is what’s hidden beneath the practiced smile in the mirror. This is the weight Emmy carries to the Christmas pageant tonight.

When Emmy’s mother picks Emmy up from after-school care, they only have a few minutes to spare to get ready for the pageant. There is a sense of relief when Emmy and her mother walk into the school bathroom to get ready and see other working mothers readying their children there too. Emmy and her mother feel a sense of ease, like they can fit in.

Emmy’s mother watches her daughter sing beautifully that evening with her classmates, and it brings tears to her eyes and the realization that she can no longer ignore. This housing situation is unsustainable for them both. They need help, and that is where a program like Nest Community Shelter and our partners can help.

Unfortunately, stories like Emmy’s and her mother’s are common in our communities across the state. This holiday season, all these families wish for is a home of their own, and the stability that comes with that, hot running water, a place to cook and share a meal, and the safety that home brings.

This holiday season, please consider supporting the work we do at Nest Community Shelter and Nest La Porte to support families like Emmy’s. If you’d like to make a difference in the lives of those like Emmy, please donate today. You can click here to donate.

The post The Weight of a White Shirt appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

A Troubling Trend

Over the past year, we’ve welcomed mothers and fathers with children of all ages seeking emergency shelter. Most families who enter a Nest shelter do so during an emergency and then transition to a shelter that better meets their specific needs. At Nest, our population is separated by gender, which is not ideal for a father with a daughter or a mother with older sons. Since most families prefer to stay together, we collaborate with our partners to find more suitable shelter options for our guests.

In December, we will examine unhoused children. What is especially heartbreaking about this group is that they are bystanders in a situation that directly affects them. However, they lack the ability to influence change in the situation. We also know that children who experience homelessness are more likely to become unhoused adults, struggle academically, are more susceptible to health and mental health issues, and so much more.

According to an article in the Indy Star, this past July, 22,114 school-aged children were unhoused during the 2023-2024 school year in Indiana. This marked a 44% increase from the previous school year. In Michigan City alone, 155 students are enrolled in the McKinney-Vento program, which experienced a 5-6% increase over the last four years. Nationally, the program saw a 32% rise in participants. The McKinney-Vento program is available to all school-aged children for support while experiencing homelessness. You can learn more about the program here.

The Unseen & Uncounted Children in Our Community

What is troubling beyond the statistics of this upward trend is the children who go unreported. Some children are too young to be in school and therefore are not counted, while others may be school-aged but are not attending school. Some children are experiencing hidden homelessness, where the school is not aware of the living situation. Many choose not to report due to the stigma of being unhoused or fear of their children being taken due to the living situation. While the collected statistics tell a troubling story, we know that the numbers beyond the statistics are far worse for the youngest in our community.

For families and the general unhoused population, the causes of becoming unhoused are complex. Still, for many families, the cost of housing and the rising cost of living are outpacing wages, which are directly leading to a housing crisis. In many cases, these children have one or two caregivers who work yet cannot afford the rent, utilities, food, and other necessary monthly expenses to survive. We know that among unhoused adults, between 40 – 60% are actively working. With the average 1-bedroom apartment in our community costing over $1200+ per month and the minimum wage at $7 per hour, the math does not add up. Affordable living is slipping out of the hands of families in our communities, leaving many out on the streets, living out of their vehicles, and in shelters.

Throughout December, we will focus on the youngest of those affected by homelessness. For unhoused children in our community, this season brings both holiday cheer and uncertainty. While other children eagerly await the holidays, unhoused children may go without and face the dangers of the cold. We will further examine the causes of children becoming unhoused, the reality that they’re living with, and the impact that being unhoused as a child has for a lifetime.

The post The Youngest of Our Unhoused Population: Children appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

The path to housing is rarely straightforward. When someone is ready to take that step forward, they often encounter a system that seems designed for people who’ve never experienced a housing gap. Our community, like many across the United States, has a significant and devastating lack of affordable housing, which means that when an affordable rental unit does become available, the competition can be fierce to rent. Often, rentals classified as affordable are substandard in terms of safety, stability, and quality, or are not actually affordable.

For those coming out of an unhoused situation, the upfront costs alone, first month’s rent, last month’s rent, security deposits, and application fees, can total thousands of dollars before someone even gets the keys. While we know that between 40-60% of unhoused individuals have a job, saving this amount of money is incredibly challenging.

Even after funds are saved, the challenges are far from over. Credit scores that plummeted during a medical crisis years ago. An eviction resulted from an unplanned vehicle repair that had unintended consequences for their financial health. These records follow people long after they’ve done the hard work of recovery and stabilization. They become permanent markers of someone’s worst moments rather than measures of their current readiness and determination. Even when someone has overcome these hurdles, many landlords carry deeply ingrained assumptions about people experiencing homelessness.

This is where organizations like ours can provide support for our guests, not to solve homelessness for people, but to walk alongside them as they solve it for themselves. This is one of the ways in which we live our mission to reconnect our guests back to their community. We provide the practical support that makes the difference: help with financial management and setting realistic budgets, advocacy with landlords, connections to additional support services that can help with housing, and, perhaps most importantly, the affirmation that someone’s past does not define their future.

We see every day what happens when people are given a real chance. When barriers are removed and support is available, individuals who have survived the trauma of being unhoused prove themselves to be resilient, resourceful, and ready.

The barriers to housing are real and many. But they are not insurmountable. With community support, compassionate policies, and organizations willing to bridge gaps in our community and beyond, we can ensure that everyone ready to come home has the opportunity to do so. We hope this month-long series on the challenges our unhoused neighbors face in securing safe, stable housing has provided some insight into the complicated, complex landscape. We encourage you to learn more about affordable housing and the impact of its lack on our entire community.

The post Understanding The Housing Landscape for The Unhoused Community appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

A Single Checkbox That Changes Everything

An eviction isn’t just a moment in time; it can be a permanent mark that follows people for years, sometimes decades. While a criminal record can be sealed or expunged in many states, eviction records remain publicly searchable indefinitely. For the millions of Americans with an eviction on their record, finding stable housing becomes an uphill battle that can feel impossible to win. This past year, the state of Indiana passed a law that will seal an eviction record, but only for some people under the right circumstances.

We’ve watched capable, determined individuals apply to dozens of rental properties only to face rejection after rejection. The reason is almost always the same: that eviction from five years ago, from ten years ago, sometimes from a lifetime ago, when circumstances were entirely different, is a serious roadblock to housing.

The Domino Effect of Housing Denial

When an unhoused individual can’t find housing because of a previous eviction, the consequences ripple outward:

Families remain separated. Parents can’t reunite with their children who are staying with relatives or in foster care because they don’t have stable housing to offer.

Employment becomes unstable. Without a permanent address, it’s harder to maintain steady work. Job applications ask for addresses. Employers want reliability. It isn’t easy to show up consistently when you’re sleeping in different places or commuting from a shelter far from your workplace.

The cycle continues. People are forced into substandard housing with landlords who don’t conduct background checks, often paying premium prices for properties with serious safety issues, no lease protections, and the constant threat of eviction, thus repeating this vicious cycle.

Homelessness persists. For many, the shelter becomes the only option, not because they lack resources or motivation, but because the housing market has deemed them unworthy of a second chance. Not taking into account how the eviction may have come about.

No Room for Understanding

The eviction screening system doesn’t distinguish between someone who was evicted for chronic non-payment and someone who faced a one-time crisis, a medical emergency, a layoff, or a domestic violence situation. It doesn’t account for the passage of time or evidence of rehabilitation. It treats everyone with an eviction the same way: as an unacceptable risk.

Many of the people we serve were evicted during circumstances beyond their control:

• Medical debt that led to missed rent payments
• Domestic violence situations where they had to leave quickly
• Pandemic-related job losses
• Landlord retaliation for requesting necessary repairs
• Misunderstandings or errors in housing court

Yet these individuals are branded with a scarlet letter that makes landlords, often referred to as the “Scarlet E,” who are often using automated screening tools, reject them before ever meeting them or hearing their story.

Not Your Local Landlord

The consolidation of rental properties into corporate ownership has made this crisis even worse, and it is happening even here in La Porte County.

Large property management companies and corporate landlords now own a significant portion of the “affordable” rental stock in many communities, the very properties that people leaving our shelter could potentially afford. These corporations rely on automated screening software that instantly rejects anyone with an eviction on their record, with no room for human judgment or individual circumstances. There’s no property manager you can sit down with to explain what happened, no local landlord who might remember your family or give you a chance based on a personal reference. It’s simply an algorithm that sees one mark on your record and closes the door.

Meanwhile, independent landlords, the ones who might have been willing to hear your story, accept a co-signer, or give someone a second chance, are increasingly rare. They’ve sold their properties to corporate buyers or been priced out of the market themselves. This shift from individual to corporate ownership has removed the human element from housing decisions at precisely the time when vulnerable people need that humanity most. When the majority of affordable rentals in a community are owned by corporations that treat housing as purely a numbers game, entire populations find themselves permanently locked out, no matter how hard they work to rebuild their lives.

Moving Forward with Compassion

Housing is a fundamental human need, not a privilege reserved for those with perfect records. When we lock people out of housing because of past evictions, we’re not protecting our communities; we’re perpetuating cycles of poverty and homelessness that hurt everyone. For those who’ve worked so hard to rebuild their lives only to be shut out of stable, safe housing, it’s heartbreaking.

Our guests aren’t looking for handouts. They’re looking for a fair shot. They’re ready to pay rent, maintain properties, and be good neighbors. They need someone willing to see past a checkbox and recognize their humanity.

It’s time we acknowledge that our current system isn’t working and commit to creating pathways back to stable housing for everyone, regardless of their past, because everyone deserves a place to call home.

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The Credit Score: A Three-Number Barrier

Here’s something that might surprise you: credit scores are still a massive indicator of a renter securing housing. According to the local housing nonprofit Homeward Bound Villages,

“Credit scores have become a near-universal requirement in today’s rental market. Nearly 90 percent of landlords reported that they checked for previous evictions, income, job history, rental history, credit scores, and criminal backgrounds when making their decisions. For many property managers across Indiana, a minimum credit score between 580 and 670 is standard, and anything below that threshold results in automatic denial.”

When someone becomes unhoused, priorities can change very quickly, as they move into survival mode, struggling to meet basic needs like food and shelter. Often, bills go unpaid. Medical debts pile up. Credit scores drop. According to U.S. News Money, 51% of background checks conducted by employers include a credit check, which means that bad credit not only affects housing but can also impact the ability to secure a job that provides housing. It’s a cycle that can be incredibly challenging to break.

Furthermore, more than half of rental applications are submitted online. When a rental application is submitted online, often these applications are never reviewed by a human, but an AI tool that is meant to reject applicants that do not actively fit the criteria. Some estimate that up to 90% of online applications are reviewed this way. A computer will not understand how hard a someone worked to overcome homelessness, how they are actively working to repair their credit, which takes time, like a human would.

When “Just Save Up” Isn’t That Simple

Now, let’s discuss security deposits. They’re meant to protect landlords. When a renter leaves a home, these funds can be used to repair any damage done by the tenant. However, when you’re trying to overcome being unhoused, coming up with the first month’s rent, last month’s rent, AND a security deposit can feel impossible. When you combine this with an application fee, and a background check, or credit check, this can and often is thousands of dollars, before the renter ever moves in.

In 2020, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment nationwide was $1,621. In our community, the average is about $1,200. When landlords require three times that amount upfront, which many do when they see a low credit score, we’re talking about nearly $5,000 or more to get keys to an apartment. Studies show that 40% of Americans can’t afford an unexpected $400 expense, so imagine how impossible $5,000 feels when you’re living paycheck to paycheck, are on disability, or are living in a homeless shelter. Coming up with these funds, while trying to repair credit to secure housing is a monumental task.

All of our guests want is a safe, stable home, somewhere safe to lay their head at night. Most of the guests staying at Nest Community Shelter have regular employment, but it simply is not enough. When deposits and credit scores come into the equation, sometimes it doesn’t matter how hard someone works to repair the financial damage. What is important to understand is that the slide into becoming unhoused can be gradual or sudden, but either way, economic damage is often done along the way that will pose real barriers to reacquiring stable, safe housing.

The Real-World Impact

When we see people struggling with these barriers, we’re not just seeing numbers on a page; we are seeing our guests, real people who are working hard to rebuild their lives. With the dream of a front door of their own, a bathroom of their own, and a bed of their own. These are simple things to most, but they mean the world to our guests.

For some of our guests who have worked beyond hard, leaned how to better manage their finances, and found a potential place to live, it can all fall apart because of three little numbers, their credit score or a massive slew of deposits and fees. The real-world impact is that this current system can be a true barrier to those who are truly working to secure safe, stable housing.

What We Can Do Together

At our Nest, we work with people every day who are ready to get back on their feet. They want to work or are actively working. They want to pay rent. They want stability for themselves and their families. But these invisible barriers, a three-digit number, and a large sum of money they can’t save while surviving often block the path.

We need more landlords willing to look beyond credit scores and applications reviewed by humans, not AI, that don’t discount any renter based on a single number. We need more programs that help with those upfront costs. We need policies that recognize that someone’s past financial struggles don’t define their ability to be a good tenant today.

Because at the end of the day, everyone deserves a place to call home. And sometimes, all it takes is someone willing to give them that chance.

Sources:

• Homeward Bound Villages. (n.d.). The credit catch-22: How poor credit traps low-income Hoosiers in a cycle of housing instability. https://www.homewardboundvillages.org/the-credit-catch-22-how-poor-credit-traps-low-income-hoosiers-in-a-cycle-of-housing-instability/
• Graeber, F. (2020, May 11). Homelessness and job security: Challenges and interventions. University of Michigan School of Public Health. https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/homelessness-and-job-security-challenges-and-interventions.html
• Williamson, A. (2021, June 1). Security deposits are a barrier to affordable housing. What can be done? Shelterforce. https://shelterforce.org/2021/06/01/security-deposits-are-a-barrier-to-affordable-housing-what-can-be-done/
• Couloute, L. (2018, August). Nowhere to go: Homelessness among formerly incarcerated people. Prison Policy Initiative. https://www.prisonpolicy.org/reports/housing.html
• Farmer, B. (2023, September 11). Medical debt is putting some Americans at risk of homelessness. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/09/11/1198534328/medical-debt-housing-security-homelessness

The post When Finding a Home Isn’t So Easy: How Credit Scores and Deposits and Fees Can Be Barriers to the Unhoused appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.

Did you know that in January 2024 (the last PIT Count), there were 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness in the United States, representing a record low since measurement began in 2009. And while we are making strides in the right direction for this population, each number represents a person who served their country and is now unhoused, with challenges and obstacles to securing stable, affordable housing.

The Affordability Crisis: When Income Can’t Keep Pace with Rent

The most fundamental barrier facing unhoused veterans is, simply put, that housing costs far exceed what they can afford in many parts of the country. About a third of veterans who served after 2001 pay more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the National Veterans Homeless Support, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving unhoused veterans. For veterans living on fixed incomes from disability benefits or struggling in low-wage jobs, even modest rent increases can mean the difference between being housed and being unhoused.

While many believe that there is funding assistance for veterans, often this population goes unserved due to a lack of funding for housing assistance. Simply put, the help that should be there often isn’t due to underfunding.

An estimated 1.3 million, or approximately 56 percent of low-income veteran households, experienced housing insecurity directly due to the rising cost of housing. When more than 30% of one’s income is spent on housing, this puts that individual at higher risk of experiencing housing insecurity or becoming unhoused. This means that for an individual spending a large amount of their income on rent, one financial disaster, such as an illness, broken car, or job loss, can quickly spiral into becoming unhoused.

The Upfront Cost Barrier: Security Deposits and Move-In Expenses

Before a veteran can even move into affordable housing, they face a financial wall: security deposits, first and last month’s rent, application fees, and utility deposits. These costs, which can total thousands of dollars, can be out of reach for most veterans experiencing homelessness to conquer on their own.

While programs exist to help, such as Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) which provides up to one month’s rent assistance for security deposits, and the Homeless to Housing (H2H) Program offers up to $2,000 for housing-related costs, including deposits; these resources remain limited, and not all veterans know they exist. Navigating these programs while unhoused poses an entirely new set of challenges, and this is where an organization like Nest comes into play. For example, simply proving you are who you say you are in order to access these programs, an ID is required. While this may seem simple and straightforward, for those who’ve been unhoused, this can be a massive undertaking, simply obtaining an ID in order to begin the process for receiving support.

Source of Income Discrimination: When Your Voucher Isn’t Welcome

Even when veterans secure housing vouchers designed to make rent affordable, they often face another hurdle: landlord discrimination. While there is no recent number (the last count was in 2014), the last reported number of veterans utilizing the Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly known as Section 8) was 340,000 veterans to cover rent. There are no federal protections in place to prevent individuals from being denied housing solely because of their source of income. A housing voucher does not automatically mean secured housing; in many cases, it can mean the opposite.

Landlords in most states can legally refuse to rent to veterans simply because they use VA benefits or housing vouchers to pay rent. According to the National Fair Housing Alliance, in 2023, fair housing complaints increased to over 34,000, with complaints related to source of income discrimination as the largest category of discrimination.  Veterans who served their country find themselves turned away from housing, not because they can’t pay, but because of how they pay.

Mental Health and PTSD: The Invisible Wounds That Become Housing Barriers

The mental health challenges many veterans face create profound barriers to obtaining and maintaining housing. The National Coalition of Homeless Veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs estimate that between 48% to 67% of homeless veterans were diagnosed with mental health disorders. Furthermore, seven out of every 100 veterans will suffer from PTSD throughout their lives. While this does not mean that every unhoused veteran will experience these mental health issues, it is significant to mention in this article as it can present a firm barrier.

These conditions can be a leading contributor to becoming unhoused, and they make it more challenging to heal from. Navigating housing applications, maintaining appointments, and following through on complex bureaucratic processes becomes exponentially more difficult when you’re dealing with untreated PTSD or severe depression. Landlords may view symptoms of these conditions as red flags, further limiting housing options.

The Discharge Status Trap: When Service Doesn’t Equal Benefits

Not all veterans have equal access to housing programs, and discharge status creates one of the most significant divides. Veterans with other than honorable discharges make up 3 percent of the veteran population, but they compose 15 percent of the unhoused veteran population.

These veterans often received their discharge status due to issues directly related to untreated mental health conditions or substance abuse, conditions that frequently stem from their military service. Veterans with other than honorable (OTH) discharges face the loss of some veteran benefits, such as housing programs offered by the VA, and they are typically not eligible for GI Bill education benefits. They served their country, but when they needed help most, the door was closed.

Eviction History: A Permanent Mark

For veterans who have previously lost housing, that history follows them. Even a single eviction, perhaps due to a hospitalization, a mental health crisis, or temporary job loss, can make it nearly impossible to find new housing. Landlords routinely screen for eviction history, and many automatically reject any applicant with an eviction record, regardless of how long ago it occurred or the circumstances surrounding it. This means that even if a veteran has worked to rebuild their lives, saved for a deposit application fee, and is financially stable, they are often denied housing due to a previous eviction.

The VA Benefit System: Challenging to Navigate

Many veterans reported that understanding the regulations for receiving subsidized housing was difficult, and the lack of pertinent information and educational support to guide them through these programs was a significant challenge. The very system designed to help veterans can become another barrier. Complex paperwork, long wait times, confusing eligibility requirements, and the need to prove service-connection for disabilities all create obstacles that can take months or years to overcome.

For a veteran in crisis, perhaps staying in their car or couch-surfing, the patience required to navigate these systems while managing mental health challenges, job searching, and meeting basic survival needs is often impossible to sustain.

Accessibility Challenges: When Housing Doesn’t Fit Physical Needs

For veterans with service-related disabilities, finding housing presents additional challenges on top of the ones we’ve already discussed. Not only were homes with accessible accommodations difficult to find, but they often come with an extra expense and or long waitlists for occupancy.

The Compounding Effect: When One Barrier Becomes Many

These barriers don’t exist in isolation, and that is truly important to understand. A veteran might face affordable housing shortages, mental health challenges, a source of income discrimination, AND poor credit from medical bills. Each barrier makes the others more challenging to overcome. A veteran dealing with PTSD  may find it more difficult to navigate the complex system of following the proper channels for support. A veteran with an eviction on their record due to a mental health crisis finds fewer landlords willing to work with them, even with rental assistance.

What This Means for Our Work

Understanding these barriers is crucial to effectively addressing veteran homelessness. At Nest Community Shelter, we encounter these challenges often with the veterans who come through our doors. It’s not enough to provide a bed and a meal; we help our veteran guests navigate housing applications, connect them with mental health services, assist with benefits advocacy, and work with landlords willing to give veterans a chance, as we do with all guests.

This Veterans Day, seeking to understand why veterans struggle to find housing is the first step toward meaningful change. These barriers are not insurmountable, but overcoming them requires resources, policy changes, and a sustained commitment to ensuring that no one who served our country should have to fight for a place to call home.

If you’d like to learn more about this topic, please visit a list of the sources used to write this article.

Sources:

1. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. (2024). Veteran homelessness reaches record low, decreasing by 7.5% since 2023. https://news.va.gov/press-room/veterans-homelessness-reaches-record-low-decreasing-by-7-5-since-2023/
2. New Visions Homeless Services. (2025). Top Challenges Facing Homeless Veterans in 2025. https://nvhs.org/top-challenges-facing-homeless-veterans-in-2025/
3. Kaine, T., Schiff, A., & Peters, S. (2025). Kaine, Schiff, & Peters Introduce Bill to Protect Veterans and Low-Income Families from Housing Discrimination. U.S. Senate. https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-schiff-and-peters-introduce-bill-to-protect-veterans-and-low-income-families-from-housing-discrimination
4. LifeSTEPS. (2025). Veterans help with security deposit: 3 Easy Steps! https://lifestepsusa.org/veterans-help-with-security-deposit/
5. Urban Institute. (2022). In Their Own Words: Veterans with Disabilities Share Their Housing Challenges. Housing Matters. https://housingmatters.urban.org/research-summary/their-own-words-veterans-disabilities-share-their-housing-challenges
6. U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2007). Rental Housing: Information on Low-Income Veterans’ Housing Conditions and Participation in HUD’s Programs. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-07-1012
7. National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. (2025). Veteran Homelessness. https://nchv.org/veteran-homelessness/
8. Tsai, J., et al. (2023). Prevalence, correlates, and mental health burden associated with homelessness in U.S. military veterans. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10317824/
9. Tsai, J., et al. (2015). Risk Factors for Homelessness Among US Veterans. PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4521393/
10. New Visions Homeless Services. (2024). What are the Causes of Veteran Homelessness. https://nvhs.org/causes-for-veteran-homelessness/
11. Peters, S. (2020). House Passes Peters’ Bill to Reduce Veteran Homelessness. https://scottpeters.house.gov/2020/1/house-passes-peters-bill-to-reduce-veteran-homelessness
12. Military.com. (2023). Other Than Honorable Discharge: Everything You Need to Know. https://www.military.com/benefits/military-legal/other-than-honorable-discharge-everything-you-need-know.html

The post The Battle for a Place to Call Home: The Challenges Unhoused Veterans Face in Securing Safe, Stable, Affordable Housing appeared first on Nest Community Shelter.