Real People, Real Stories: Michael

EAH Housing provides apartment homes to people from all walks of life – from working families to seniors, students, veterans, and the formerly homeless. These are a few of their stories.
Michael hails from a family that takes its dedication to civil service seriously. Growing up in Denver, Colorado, he was the son of the first female African-American narcotics detective the city had ever had. It was her tough love and strong morals that moved him to join the United States Army at 19.

He served as a medic until he was 22, became an emergency room technician at Letterman Hospital in the San Francisco Presidio. From there, he continued to work as an ER tech with other healthcare providers in the Bay Area, like Kaiser Permanente, St. Mary’s Medical Center, and UCSF Medical Center. It was in his late 40s that Michael found himself laid off and unable to get back on his feet.

At this point in his life, Michael turned to drinking to console himself. Thankfully, with the help of rehabilitation, he was able to come back to himself, better than ever. Michael began to explore his creative side. His studio apartment at Willow Housing, which is co-located on a Veterans Administration healthcare campus, is essentially a 3D canvas, with paintings, scarves, fabric, and other art pieces decorating the space. There is barely a blank space left to decorate.

Michael’s journey was not without its ups and downs. Before coming to Willow Housing, Michael had suffered from tremors and even stayed in the intensive care unit for a period because of his alcohol abuse. But now, Michael is able to maintain his recovery with the help of the friendly Willow Housing staff and all of its amenities.