Robert Borroto, a Hispanic Bronx resident in his sixties, came to Goodwill seeking help to find supportive shared housing in 2022. Robert, who has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder and psychophysiological insomnia, has not worked for the past 7-8 years and has lived with his mother during this period. Robert had never slept in a shelter, but had at times slept on a subway train and identified himself as homeless.

Our Peer Advocacy Leadership (PAL) Program helped Robert navigate the very lengthy and difficult process of applying for housing. Carlos, one of our PAL peers, helped Robert gather the necessary information to complete housing applications, connect with housing providers, accompanied him to check supported housing locations. Finally, at the end of Jan. 2023, Robert moved into the apartment he selected, ending close to eight years of homelessness.

Carlos reports that now that Robert lives in his own place, he intends to focus on keeping himself physically healthy. The PAL team will continue to support him with wellness checks and connecting him to relevant health resources.

Story submitted by our Peer Advocacy Leadership Program team:
Carlos Guerra, PAL Peer Advocate
Christopher Ng, Senior Peer Advocate
Brendan Foley, Program Director