We’re proud of our residents.
We are able to provide affordable housing to our residents only with the financial aid and management guidance of our housing agencies. We gratefully acknowledge the support from:
Sacramento Housing & Redevelopment Agency, SHRA
California Department of Housing and Human Development, HCD
Veterans Administration, VA
Shelter Plus Care Program
Many of our residents come to us after experiencing homelessness and/or living below the poverty line, and other compromised situations. Due to these public assistance programs, lives are literally transformed and we are proud to play a part in this ‘housing first’ approach to homelessness. In tribute to these programs, a select few of our residents have agreed to be photographed and interviewed, the results of which are published below. Their stories will not be forgotten, and continue to fuel our ever expanding presence at the front lines of California’s housing crisis.
Natasha
Nancy
Larry
Richard
Lucy & David
Marty
James
Steven
Janet
Rae
Jerry & Janice
Natasha
I had a stroke last year while I was pregnant. I had to drop out of school and quit my part time job, so all of my income got wiped out. I lost my home and my credit score dropped because I had to let everything go to collections while I was sick. So I ended up homeless staying with my sister in a tiny studio apartment while I was getting better. The fact that I was a veteran saved my life because I was able to get a voucher through the VA program and ended up at Magnolia Suites. Three days after I moved in I went into labor. Due to the stroke, my baby was born premature and had to spend some time in the NICU. Since then, I’ve been able to find daycare and get back to work. I’m getting better, my son is getting better and we are able to start saving up money to eventually buy a home in Texas. It was a really hard year but things are getting better and better each day.
Larry
I moved down here from Watsonville and I was homeless for about five years. I’m bipolar to start off with, which I still suffer from today. I got sick with pneumonia, found out I have had a septic infection, kidney failure, so I wound up in the hospital for days and ended up losing my car and my dog. I lost everything. Things have changed a lot since I moved to Magnolia Suites. I like being here. It’s a whole lot quieter and I’m surrounded by people who understand. I’ve got a little Japanese lady that comes and visits me, she’s my caseworker. As a matter of fact, she’s coming over tomorrow to take me to the eye doctor. The people in Watsonville found out I was living here and they’ve been asking me to move back, but I don’t have $2300/month to pay for rent! So I’m here. But hey, where else would you want to be?
Lucy & David
Pregnant and homeless are two words you don’t want to hear in the same sentence, but alas that was our situation when we stumbled upon the green and pink building known as Magnolia Suites in August of 2018. Me and my husband had been traveling for work with all our belongings in a storage unit when I found out I was pregnant. Needless to say, work became difficult for me as growing baby demanded more of my resources, and living out of a car was becoming no bueno. We needed a nest, and an affordable one at that! Just in the nick of time, 3 months before my due date, we found Magnolia Suites and we haven’t looked back. Baby boy was born healthy, on time, and with a roof over his head! This place has been a godsend, and we will always be grateful to Bruce and his team here at Magnoila Suites.
James
Right before I moved here I had just gone through a separation with my wife and I was living out of my place of work. I work in Prison Ministry doing transitional services, helping people when they come out of prison. The first thing I noticed about Magnolia Suites was the sign, “Into any House you enter first say peace be to this house.” That drew me in. I met Bruce on site, and that was also a unique experience because very seldom when you visit a property are you first greeted by the owner. We got to talking and I told him about my career counseling ex-prisoners and he was real concerned about that, but I assured him I would not be working out of my home as I have done in the past, and Bruce decided to give me a chance. Since moving here I have found the peace I was looking for and I appreciate how Bruce looks after the place and the community of veterans we have here.
Janet
My old landlord made me get rid of my dog and doubled my rent after having lived there for 20 years. This was one month after telling me I was the best tenant he ever had. I wasn’t able to make ends meet after that. And then I found Bruce. Bruce is so kind, he fixes things as soon as their broken. His entire team is wonderful. When I call Bruce, he answers the phone. He’s just a good landlord and he makes me happy. I never used to leave my house, and now I go out to take care of my mom and dad. I’ve grown so much since living here. It’s happy here.
Jerry and Janice
Before we found Magnolia Suites we were homeless. We had found a temporary home that was about to be foreclosed on to stay in, but it was stressful not knowing when we would have to go and where we would go after that. Janice got to talking to the VA and we wound up at Magnolia Suites. We have a 13 year old daughter, so our top concern was safety, we wanted to make sure the environment around her was sociable. That’s what we love about Magnolia Suites everyone knows each other and you can trust the people around you. That and the fact that I don’t have to do any maintenance! Joking aside, Bruce is a great landlord. You let him know your needs and he tries his best to accommodate you as soon as he can. It all worked out in the end and it is a great fit for our family.
Nancy
Having a learning disability and being a single mom, I would worry about my income and being able to make rent. One of my doctor’s encouraged me to go for section 8. I found a place, my last building and was there for four years. This building went through a change of ownership and the new owners decided that they weren’t going to take section 8 anymore, so I had to find a new place for me and my daughter. I remember walking down the rows of apartments here and by the grace of God someone led me to the leasing office where I met Bruce. I spoke to Bruce and there was something about his aura and the conversation that just made me feel welcome, I moved in that week. To this day I look back and think if it wasn’t for Bruce ain’t no telling where I would be mentally, being a single parent and having to worry about my daughters safety. Now that I’m here, I would love to be a sponsor to help others find a place that would be suitable for them. I am always recommending this place to anyone who is a good fit. Welcome to Magnolia Suites!
Richard
I was living in Washington staying with a friend when my son called me and asked me to move back to California. I haven’t lived there in a long time, and had no connections, but my son said he found me a job. So that’s how I ended up at Magnolia suites. I served in the Vietnam war as an Engineer, from 1971 to 1974, so I was able to obtain a voucher. I find I’m real happy here. It’s nice and quiet and I can ride my bike anywhere.
Marty
I applied to move into Magnolia Suites in May 2005 because my then partner served me with Legal separation papers. I chose Magnolia for two reasons, my best friend lived here with her family and this location was close to my son and daughters’ schools, our church, and about one mile from what would end up being my ex partners house.
In 2012 I retired from the State of California Printing Office. I have since pursued art in a variety of media one being carving signs in redwood.
Steven
I had to leave my home in Laramie, Wyoming in July of 2015. I had to get out of there so I could stay alive. Laramie has an elevation of 7220 feet 2000 feet higher than my prior home in Boulder, CO, and I have COPD (Chronic Inflammatory Lung Disease). My breathing was atrocious, and I was having blackouts, so I had to leave pronto. A friend recommended I try out Sacramento so I moved there and I was homeless for about a year, but I was alive. Then I found Magnolia Suites through the VA program. Bruce has welcomed me with open arms. Bruce treats me like family, and that is my kind of place. I came here looking for a final place to live where I could lay down roots. I was looking for a home, and this is it.
Rae
I was homeless before I moved here. I’m probably one of the only homeless professionals you’ll meet, due to my husband’s illness. I discovered that the VA has a program that partner’s with SHRA, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, and coupled with Bruce’s willingness to go along with it I was able to move in. To be able to retire here has been a blessing. Retirement is supposed to be the time of your life, and living here has been an amazing gift. My life has changed 180 degrees since moving here. It’s the difference between living to survive vs knowing you have a home, and living to live. My wellbeing has improved 100%, that’s the best way I can say it because it entails the whole person. I feel so good here, and that’s a gift.