From Homeless to Homeowner: Help Jenn Achieve Her Dream!!

*** Update*** As many of you know, the first time I went into escrow, I had to back out the contract. The selling agent didn't disclose some information that made buying that condo not such a great idea. I have been searching for another one for months and I found a condo and am now in contract!!!(see pictures below) Great news! There is just one thing: I've jumped through all the hoops, saved my money, and made this happen with your much appreciated help! Because of the current political climate, the economy has not been great this year. And I'm finding myself unexpectedly short on the money I need to close. I am about $3,000 away from achieving my goal of going from homeless to a homeowner in the expensive bay area, and I'm asking for your help!!

If you can please donate what you can, I will appreciate this more than you know. Or if you can share this with any of your network, I will appreciate this too. I'm so close!!! Thank you for your consideration!

Hi, my name is Jenn, though most folks know me as “Tennessee Jenn.” I’m reaching out today because I have an incredible, life-changing opportunity to buy my very own home in the Bay Area—but I need help with closing costs to make this dream a reality.

Just four years ago, I began my journey as a housed person. For nearly a decade, I was homeless on the streets of West Oakland and Emeryville, surviving in RVs, tents, and encampments. I struggled with addiction for over 30 years, a battle that took me to unimaginable depths. My life felt like a dead end—hopeless, desperate, and dark. Five years ago, I hit rock bottom. After a major stroke left me paralyzed on my right side, I spent 11 days in the hospital and 3 weeks in a rehab hospital where I learned to walk again. I realized that if I wanted a second chance at life, I needed to make some big changes. I committed to staying clean, focusing on my health, and leading a life where I was committed to helping others.

After my hospital stays, I took shelter in very primitive public housing, living in two-person “tough sheds” without running water for a year. I stayed clean, got a job, and began to rebuild my life. I moved into my first apartment—a small studio efficiency in Berkeley. I had achieved my first step into housing and I finally had a place to call home.

Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to helping others. I became a social worker, supporting people experiencing homelessness in adjusting to housing. I’ve volunteered countless hours at encampments, shelters, nonprofits, and homeless services agencies, helping people find housing, medical care, and resources. I have tirelessly submitted hundreds of applications for housing lotteries and have celebrated with those who received their own apartments. I am active on several community committees to ensure the voices of people with lived experience of homelessness are heard in policy discussions. And two years ago, I founded my nonprofit, Equal Access to Services and Housing, to help with housing navigation at local encampments and shelters..

Fast forward to today: I recently won a spot in the First Home Emeryville program, which offers down payment assistance to first-time homebuyers in Emeryville. Out of hundreds, only 30 people were chosen—and I’m one of them! This is a chance to achieve the seemingly impossible: going from homelessness to homeownership in the Bay Area in just four years. I’ve secured pre-approval for a mortgage and am now searching for a place to call my own. The last piece is the expense of closing costs. It is the final barrier to homeownership in the Bay Area and I need your help with this.

I need to raise $15,000 in the next two months.

I’ve gone from living on the street to being a stable, productive person, dedicating my life to helping others who are struggling the same way I did. I have been working a full time for Rising Sun Center for Opportunity, helping low income and marginalized people overcome barriers to obtain high road carreers that offer family- sustaining wages. My second job is equally fulfilling, caretaking an unhoused, disabled man for whom I have recently secured permanent housing. And in my spare time I continue to have a deep commitment to serving my community.

I’ve faced so many challenges to get here. It has been a long uphill battle with many obstacles and hurtles. But now I’m I have been offered this amazing opportunity, I can’t let it pass me by. So I’m asking for your help to make this final step.

I am endlessly grateful for the friends and supporters who have been with me along this journey. Any amount you can donate to help me reach this goal would mean the world. Thank you for reading my story and for considering a donation to help me reach my dream of homeownership.

With all my gratitude,

Tennessee Jenn