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.

Mark, 67, and his dog, Tank, are settling into their new home in North Lawrence.

“This hasn’t just changed my life. It has saved my life,” he said. “It’s a new home and new beginning.”  

The home is fully accessible, with a zero-step entry, walk-in shower and room for him to maneuver his wheelchair. 

Angie Bauer, supportive housing rental manager for Tenants to Homeowners, said the Homeless Response Team advocated for Mark and referred him to her. 

“I am really invested in what his story is, not where he has been,” Bauer said. “If you look at Mark on paper, most people wouldn’t rent to him. I am more interested in where he is now, what he needs and how I can successfully house him so it’s sustainable.”
Mark previously lived in one of the nonprofit’s tiny homes when he had a manual wheelchair, but he could no longer get around after receiving a larger motorized wheelchair.

Before finding affordable housing with Tenants to Homeowners nine months ago, Mark and Tank were living in his truck, which he described as “a piece of junk." He had a criminal record that prevented him from accessing housing, and without housing, he couldn’t access the health services he qualified for. He said it became a vicious cycle — he wasn’t falling through the cracks, but through holes in the system.

Mark has engaged in services and has been clean for three years. He said he not only attended group meetings but eventually led them. He has turned to faith and meditation to cope with pain.

“I want to live a clean life. I quit smoking. I don’t drink. I don’t use drugs,” he said, then laughed. “I do cuss like a sailor sometimes, though.”

He said he’s grateful for the connections he’s made in the community, and for those who have advocated for him, including Bauer, who gave him a chance.

“I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize what I’ve been given,” he said. “I am glad for Tenants to Homeowners because it’s the only option that I have. It’s this or the streets.”