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In the meantime, she continued her research into the rental management company, and the practices and actions that led to her eviction. What she uncovered was alarming, pervasive, and according to her research, by design.
Deborah points to the new, powerful algorithms deployed by property management companies over the last several years. She describes it as redlining for the digital age – except here it’s not a physical line on the map – it's a whole network of variables.
“We know the algorithm is discriminatory based on race. We know that. So this is absolutely economic redlining, and they can redline any demographic they want. Gender, race, age, disability, whatever they want.”
In the midst of her research, her resources ran out. No longer able to afford a hotel, Deborah stayed her first night on the street. Huddled under a blanket near Key Campus, Deborah remained unsheltered for three long nights. In her interview, she didn’t dwell on what that was like for her, and we didn’t press.
Relief from the street life came when Keys to Change Outreach staff engaged with Deborah and brought her to the Brian Garcia Welcome Center to connect with services and support.
Being independent and able to work meant that Deborah would have good options for housing assistance, however with system capacity strained, she would have to wait. In the meantime, she stayed in overflow shelter in the Lodestar Day Resource Center on Campus.
Her time in overflow was difficult. Overflow shelter is a bare-bones emergency effort by service providers to keep people out of the elements. With unhoused populations swelling in cities across the country, semi-permanent overflow is evidence of significant gaps in funding and infrastructure. Deborah experienced what many do in these environments: poor physical health, repeated bouts of contagious illnesses, and a mentally draining lack of privacy.
On Key Campus, internal referrals are designed to move clients into progressively better circumstances as quickly as possible, even as demand at every level increases. After three months in overflow, through interagency coordination, Community Bridges Case Managers moved Deborah into Respiro, the 95-bed shelter on Campus. There, she remembers the kindness of Mr. Shepard – a beloved long-tenure Keys to Change employee known for his immaculate style and his consistent results.
“I really see why people speak so highly of this man. He’s so compassionate,” said Deborah. After some time in Respiro, Mr. Shepard secured a room for her at Bridge 95. “He personally helped me move my things.”
For Deborah, Keys to Change’s transitional housing property called Bridge 95 brought with it the promise of peace, quiet, and ongoing support in a positive community setting. She was starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Join us next week for part 3 of Deborah’s story.
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