From Street Homeless to Housed: Nikki’s Story
From Street Homeless to Housed: Nikki’s Story
After losing her job due to cutbacks, and then being evicted from her apartment, Nikki found herself living on the streets of San Francisco. People experience homelessness for various reasons and the impact of being unhoused can be detrimental to an individual or family. For women, there is often an added layer of abuse. For Nikki, GLIDE was pivotal in finding shelter in single residence occupancy housing, and giving her the unwavering love and emotional support that she needed to thrive. In this special feature, Nikki shares her story and guides us through the unique challenges many unhoused women face on a daily basis.
“I always say San Francisco has good bones. That’s what I used to be taught – In flipping real estate, look for good bones because if you have a place with good bones, you can fix it.
At one point, I was housed in San Francisco, but I lost my job because of COVID. I worked for an international company and they decided to close our office location at the start of the pandemic. After only one month of late rent, I was given an eviction notice. I tried to make payment arrangements, but they wanted me out.
I ended up street homeless and slept in front of the public library – it’s the library across from City Hall. Prior to COVID, I used to come to this library, check out books, use the computer, use the meeting rooms, use the study rooms like everyone else. Then, I ended up sleeping here. That was just the best place for me as a woman to feel safe, because the lights are on 24 hours and there’s security there all night.
I would go get my food at GLIDE and come back to the library or park so that I would be able to sit. You know, it’s a lot of walking when you’re homeless, and if you’re older, can you imagine? Or handicapped? The good thing is I could sit in front of the library, eat, and there’s a restroom. My whole life was centered around bathrooms and eating. I’m sorry to say that, but that’s what it’s like when you’re living in survival mode.
A homeless woman has more of a unique experience with her safety. There’s a lot of violence. Luckily, I didn’t have any kind of rape, but I had aggression, was cursed out, men stealing my things, trying to intimidate me so they could have my place in line for my bed. I had men try to traffic me and I’ve heard other women say that’s happened to them on the streets. You can’t even rest at night; it’s not safe. You just never know what’s going to happen.
When I was homeless, I would come up to GLIDE for my free meals. Just coming here to eat one day, I saw the outreach tables set up on the Tenderloin Hub. The ladies there were such good listeners. I had all this luggage every time they saw me, so it was obvious I was homeless. They were very welcoming, very unconditional. It was the staff at GLIDE that helped connect me with housing at the Mary Elizabeth Inn, a safe and peaceful, women-only SRO just outside of the Tenderloin.
I’m hoping that all that I went through was not in vain, those nights of sleeping outside. I want people to know that anyone can become homeless. I remember one time, I was sleeping at two o’clock in the morning, sleeping in the park and didn’t even know the sprinklers went off. I got soaking wet and it was 30 degrees, and I stepped in human feces.
I’ve been through it, I don’t feel like anyone owes me anything, and I don’t feel sorry for myself. But I can now say that I went from having money, to stepping in other people’s feces. If I never talk about it, it’s not going to do any good. That’s why I’m being honest and sharing my story.”
A Day in the Life of Women Experiencing Homelessness
As told by Nikki Childs
Waking up
“I slept right in front of the San Francisco Public Library – I felt safer here. Well, I didn’t get my sleep. That’s another thing about experiencing homelessness. Some of them are just falling over because they’re tired. I remember having an hour of sleep. It was everything I could do not to faint – I need my sleep. And no caffeine? What?! You can’t even rest at night because it’s not safe. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. At night from here it was high winds, so it would totally blow my tent down. I used to sleep in the doorways, because the doorway would block the wind. At night, it got really cold and there was a wind that just blew through all of Civic Center and did it all night long.”
Restrooms
“When you’re homeless, no one is really going to let you use the restroom without paying. A lot of people don’t want homeless in the restroom, but what they really don’t want is a person who is using drugs and leaving needles. There’s a difference. That’s what they really don’t want, but they don’t know how to communicate that. There are only a few restrooms around here that are always available, like the one on Ellis Street by GLIDE. These, I loved. They actually have real sinks and everything.”
Breakfast at GLIDE
“GLIDE is so well-known in the community for feeding people and providing resources. I would come up here for my free meals. Coming here to eat one day, I saw the Women’s Center’s table. I just decided, ‘Okay, let me just pop in.’ And the ladies were such good listeners. They were very welcoming. They were serving coffee, tea, and some nice bakery products. They had pamphlets and information. The greatest asset I found was that they were willing to listen. They were very unconditional. I had all this luggage every time they saw me, so it was obvious I was homeless. I had a suitcase, pulling it.”
Boeddeker Park
“In the mornings I would come here to Boeddeker Park. I would get breakfast from GLIDE or Saint Anthony’s and come here to eat and get some exercise. So, I could say that’s the value of having parks. It was a good place to come and exercise, and I had a place to eat all the time. There’s a mural above the park with the phrase ‘Everyone Deserves a Home.’ I used to read that when I was here and would believe that God would give me some place to stay one day.”
Always walking
“I spent a lot of my day just walking. You know, it’s a lot of walking, and if you’re older, can you imagine? Or handicapped? Now, the good thing is I can sit in front of the library, eat, and there’s a restroom. You see how my whole life was centered around bathrooms and eating. I’m sorry to say that, but that’s what it’s like when you’re living in survival mode.
One time I sat on a ledge across the street from the library. I was just sitting there, not even sitting for a minute. I was going to drink some water, and I had my stuff with me. Security came right away and said, ‘You can’t be here.’ I said, ‘I don’t think it’s illegal for me to do that. All I want to do is stand here and drink water.’ He said, ‘Okay, but just once you drink your water, you need to leave.’ It was not a crime for me to be there drinking water!”
Checking mail
“The post office on Ellis St is critical for homeless – I’m not political, but do you know part of what got me homeless? It’s because all of this fraud that was happening with unemployment. The unemployment, because I was using this mailbox as my address, they thought I was fraudulent so they thought someone else was trying to get my unemployment. They refused to give it to me. I sent them all of my IDs multiple times. I even got on a Zoom call and still, they kept saying there’s fraud just because I was using the Ellis Street mail office where I picked my mail up today. So yes, there are hurdles.”
Tomorrow is a new day
“I’m at Mary Elizabeth Inn now, but those are small, so I’m working on getting employed and getting an actual apartment. Or a house. But it’s still beautiful because it’s all women at Mary Elizabeth. I chose that for a reason. GLIDE helped me create a kitchenette in my room, too. I cook, I have a crock pot, I have a George Foreman grill, I have a microwave, I have a refrigerator, coffee pot. I love it here because it’s really quiet and peaceful, and it’s super clean.
Here’s the interesting beauty of the story, and why I want people to understand that anyone can become homeless: Prior to COVID, I used to come to this library, check out books, use the computer, use the meeting rooms, use the study rooms like everyone else. Then, I ended up sleeping here.”