'I made it happen:' Formerly homeless man moves into new apartment

LORAIN – In the quiet of an empty apartment, Tyler Thompson looked around and thought, "there's no way this is mine." The newly rehabbed one-bedroom unit, with its laminate floors and light grey walls, may not look like much to some. But for Thompson, it is home. The 27-year-old has spent the past year living in a tent off North Ridge Road, relying on a small propane heater or local warming centers during the frigid cold. There were nights he went to sleep not knowing if he would wake up in the morning, he said. On Friday, he had his east side home's thermostat set to the low 60s on the sunny winter day. Sitting across from United Way Continuum of Care Coordinator Cassandra Marr and Mobility Manager Liz Choi at his new kitchen table, Thompson leaned back in his chair and talked easily with the two social service workers. Marr has known Thompson for years. He used to volunteer at the Elyria and Lorain Salvation Army Corps. and she would see him sometimes during her part-time shifts at Dollar Tree. When she and Neighborhood Alliance Chief of Staff Rebecca Haywood met with him during the point-in-time homeless census last week, they had agreed all Thompson needed was 'one good break.' That break came when he got the call about the apartment opening, which will soon be fully furnished by New Sunrise Properties and other nonprofits. He quickly sold his tent, propane heater and other items to scrape together enough money for the first month's rent. It was a break he, at times, doubted would ever come. "I just got to a point where I was like 'my name's on a paper, they'll get to me whenever they feel like," Thompson said, speaking to the frustration he felt working within a system that did not seem to prioritize his housing needs. "I'm the last in the chain, if you want to be honest … You can only do so much at the bottom of the chain." Thompson has a felony trespassing conviction, which can make securing housing more difficult. His apartment placement was, in part, through a program that provides housing opportunities to felons. "I made it happen – did all the footwork I needed to do," he said. As the sun filtered through the blinds, giving a hint that spring may be around the corner, Thompson felt his experiences were for a greater purpose. "I feel like God had me out there for a reason," Thompson said. "I met somebody who was a drinker – he was hard on the drinking, like I was. From the time I woke up to the time I went to bed, at one point, I was like that. And I talked to this guy and he quit drinking the same night … He went to church with me that same night." Thompson attends Word of Life Church on Grove Avenue and looks forward to regularly attending services now that he has a stable roof over his head, along with hosting his brother, who is also formerly homeless and lives in another New Sunrise Property on the city's west side, for a home-cooked Easter dinner. He and his brother planned to attend food pantries Friday afternoon, he said. Thompson is saving up money for a new car after the engine in his truck failed, so he currently relies on rides to avoid walking several miles to a grocery store. He received some donated furniture, cleaning supplies and other items through Wesley United Methodist Church and Church of the Redeemer, and looks forward to decorating his apartment in camouflage, Pittsburgh Steelers' merchandise and photographs of classic cars. Eventually, Thompson hopes to buy an old building and open his own 24/7 warming center for the homeless community. For now, he will be the spokesperson as someone with a lived experience for the Continuum of Care, Marr said. "When I get stable and everything's going good, I'm going to dedicate time to helping out the homeless as much as I can," he said. Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.