HC2 Strategies, a PATH Collaborative Planning and Implementation (CPI) Facilitator, describes the following PATH success story that was shared by one of their collaborative participants, PneumaCare.
To protect client confidentiality, the clients’ names have been changed. The photo does not depict the individuals described.
Esperanza, a Colusa resident, contacted PneumaCare when she and her minor son, who has a disability, were facing eviction.
Esperanza had been faithfully subleasing the apartment and paying $900 rent for three years to a family friend, Diego. They were making a good life for themselves. She found work, and her son was doing better in school.
But one night in April 2023, Diego slipped into her apartment and left her a note, saying that he was leaving the area and taking her vehicle.
A few days later, the landlord’s assistant showed up with an eviction notice because subleases weren’t allowed under their rental agreement with Diego. Esperanza, who speaks Spanish, didn’t completely understand the notice, only that she and her son would have to leave.
She reached out to the county, who directed her to PneumaCare, an Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports services provider.
A case manager, Veronica, and a bilingual Community Health Worker, Cenza, sat down to listen to her story.
The PneumaCare team had good news for the family: Miguel could get help with the family’s housing problems through his Medi-Cal plan. Medi-Cal offers care that goes beyond the doctor’s office to help with things like housing that can affect a person’s overall health.
PneumaCare could provide Housing Transition Navigation Services to help them keep their apartment.
But still the landlord’s assistant was adamant that Esperanza move out by the end of the month.
The case manager met with the landlord to share all that Esperanza and her son had been through.
“I am not evicting this single mother and her son,” he replied. And he wouldn’t require a deposit, either.
Esperanza was shocked to learn that the rent was only $575 … a third less than what she had been paying Diego for the sublease.
The family also qualified for Medi-Cal Housing Tenancy and Sustaining Services. Veronica helped Esperanza set up payments for electricity and will continue to help her manage her lease.
Esperanza and her son are secure in their home now, and Veronica and Cenza couldn’t be happier.
Veronica said, “It was one of the greatest feelings that, through the grace of God, this neighbor was able to have someone advocate for her, especially with the language barrier, that she has a roof over her head and is able to care for her child.”
“I’m grateful to have a program in place that has the ability to do that for her and others in her situation.”
Thank you, Cenza, Veronica, and PneumaCare for making a difference in Esperanza and her son’s lives.
Have you joined your local network of CalAIM stakeholders working together to implement quality Enhanced Care Management (ECM) and Community Supports services for members?