This story is part of a series published in recognition of Supportive Housing Week, highlighting programs in Douglas County that combine affordable housing with services to help people maintain stability, improve their health and live independently. We are grateful to those who have agreed to share their experiences to show how this investment is making an impact.

Randy, 58, lived in an apartment building before it was owned and operated by Tenants to Homeowners, a local nonprofit. At that time, the building was in disrepair, with holes in the walls, floors and cupboards, and drug activity was common.

“I’ve been through it all. I’ve done some bad stuff in my life,” he said.

Five years ago, Tenants to Homeowners acquired the building and completely renovated it into a safe haven for people who need stable housing paired with support services. Randy stayed through the transition and made significant progress as the building, now called Sunrise House, was renovated.

Sunrise House includes single rooms furnished with lockers, a bed and a small refrigerator, along with communal bathrooms, a laundry room and a kitchen. Residents share chores, and rent is $600 a month.

Angie Bauer, the supportive housing rental manager for Tenants to Homeowners, has her office on the first floor of Sunrise House. She has witnessed Randy’s progress firsthand and becomes emotional when she talks about him.

“I’ve watched over the course of four to five years a man who, when I first met him, was drinking bottles of liquor every day and doing so much harm to his body. Now, he’s sober and has stopped smoking cigarettes. He’s asked someone to help manage his money. His family is ready to take him on his first vacation,” she said.

In early September, Randy will be moving into a tiny home community in East Lawrence. The property is owned and managed by Tenants to Homeowners, and the home was built by students at The Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center.

“He gets a home of his own that is just his,” Bauer said. “He did the work because he was engaged in services and because people cared about him. That’s my wish for everyone.”

Randy said the key to his progress was learning to trust people who were trying to help, including Bauer.

“You have to get rid of the friends who you thought were your friends before you can even try to be somebody special,” he said.

At Sunrise House, Bauer and peer support specialists help residents connect with whatever services and resources they may need, ranging from food assistance to referrals for health services.

In 2021, the Douglas County Commission allocated $155,000 in state grant funding to Tenants to Homeowners, which was used to acquire the property from its previous owner and complete the renovations. Beginning in 2023, the commission has allocated $100,000 annually to Tenants to Homeowners for its supportive housing program, which now includes 45 units.

“When we first took it over, we were doing the Housing First pilot program," Bauer said. "It was just getting people housed, and it failed. It wasn’t because we didn’t have the right intent. It was because people didn’t have all of the right services they needed before we housed them."

“We are doing it differently now, so it takes more time to get people housed, but we have over a 70% success rate in keeping people housed and I am pretty proud of that,” Bauer said.