Cliff had faced homelessness on and off many times before in his life, at times living in shelters or in his truck. Cliff came to Our House when he could no longer afford the place he was staying with the money he was earning, and he was determined to make this time in a shelter his last. Cliff diligently worked through Our House’s array of programs, living first in the Shelter and then moving into the Family House (transitional housing), participating in the Work Based Learning program (a partnership of the Arkansas Division of Workforce Services and the Little Rock Workforce Development Board), building skills as a delivery driver for the Our House Resale Store, building computer skills in the Career Center, and saving as much money as he could. It was through another Family House resident that Cliff learned about Our House’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Central Arkansas, at which point he made a new goal to not only to save money and get out of homelessness, but to own his own home. Cliff got help from the Our House Career Center to build his credit, pay off old bills, and complete all of the paperwork for his Habitat home, which he was approved for! Not only did Cliff receive the keys to his new home earlier this month, but he also found full-time, permanent employment as a truck driver for Habitat’s Restore, putting the skills he gained at Our House to good use. Cliff is now in the process of transitioning to his new home and purchasing his own furniture with his savings. While Cliff has already referred to Our House as his home, he’s ready and excited to truly have his own house!
