South Pointe Resident Proves the Power of Housing First “I have a place to call my own and I love it…I have peace,” says Vivian King a resident of South Pointe Commons. Vivian moved into South Pointe in September 2008 after what she refers to as 20 years of ups and downs. As a child she lived with an alcoholic mother and a father who was too busy providing for his family to be at home. Feeling lonely and neglected, Vivian turned to the streets for comfort. She began using drugs and had a child of her own. After several trips to prison, Vivian realized her life was heading down a dangerous path and it was time to turn things around. Vivian started a new life and a family of her own in Hawaii. She found a job she loved and was finally happy. But her happiness wouldn’t last long. Vivian’s life was suddenly in turmoil as her marriage ended and she left Hawaii to return to Cleveland and care for her sick mother. She explains this time in her life as “tough”, but it was only the beginning. Soon after Vivian’s mother passed, she lived every parent’s worst fear, the unexpected death of her 15-year old daughter. Scared to face reality, Vivian turned to the streets and drugs once again to mask her pain. She spent years on the streets and took several trips to prison before deciding it was time to get help.
“I’ve seen other people’s struggles and decided I didn’t want that for myself.”	Pictured above: Vivian King with fellow South Pointe residents Alfred Prince and Joel Wack, Sr. Mary Scullion, co-founder of Project H.O.M.E. and County Commissioner, Peter Lawson Jones.

“I’ve seen other people’s struggles and decided I didn’t want that for myself,” she says. Yet the system initially failed Vivian. She was turned away from several local programs because of various requirements she did not meet. Vivian eventually found an advocate in Cuyahoga County’s Department of Children and Family services who helped her find a home at South Pointe. Now Vivian spends her time taking community classes in healthy cooking and regularly attends art therapy and bible study. Vivian recently volunteered at a Housing First event. A noticeable increase in confidence and her upbeat personality are true signs that Vivian has made remarkable progress over the past year. As one of the many South Pointe success stories, Vivian King demonstrates the power of housing first. “I still have a few obstacles I need to overcome, but I’m at a place in life where I can face all my problems because I’m getting all the help I need…I’m happy”.