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Survivor urges more long-term housing after years of shelter waits and tent living
Summary
Connie Kauk, who identified herself as a survivor and peer support specialist, recounted living in a tent with a toddler, a six-month shelter wait and the limits of short-term shelter stays, urging long-term supportive housing and praising SAFE Alliance’s programs.
At the event, survivor and peer-support specialist Connie Kauk described fleeing abuse, living in a tent with her 2-year-old child, long waits for shelter and the limits of 30-day emergency stays that often leave survivors returning to the streets without long-term housing.
"At the time, I was living in a tent with my 2 year old child. We had been on the shelter wait list for more than 6 months," Kauk said, describing how short shelter stays and lack of post-shelter housing left families vulnerable. She told attendees that supportive housing allowed her to heal and later serve as a peer support specialist.
Kauk’s testimony was cited by elected officials and nonprofit leaders at the event as evidence of the need for permanent supportive housing that pairs homes with counseling and legal services. Organizers said the SASHA project is intended to address precisely those gaps.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 281; topfinish SEG 305.
