COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — Quinn Williams suffered a heart attack in 2018, another in 2019, and a third in 2020. The consecutive hospital stays and mounting medical bills took a toll on his finances, career, and family.
“My life went from a mechanical engineer, making good money, cars, houses, to almost homeless,” Williams recalls.
A Navy veteran, Williams was helped by both
The Salvation Army and the Pikes Peak Veterans Housing Fund both helped Williams, a Navy Veteran, find temporary places to live.
The Veterans Administration then helped Williams to move into The Commons last month.
Williams called it, “a perfect fit for my personality and recovery.”
“My need to provide and protect is still, that’s some of the things I lost during my health issues, the being able to provide for my family, protect my family,’ he said.
The Commons is a 50-unit permanent supportive housing development built and operated by Homeward Pikes Peak. It opened in late April offering families and veterans experiencing homelessness a permanent place to call home.
Brooke Sulski, Program Manager at the Commons said residents are never pressured to leave. Some may want their unit to be a forever home. Others may simply need some stability in life before moving on.
“We want this place to feel like home, and home feels different for everyone,” Sulski explained,
The majority of the building’s units are currently filled. However, a limited number of remaining units are set aside for veterans.
“We do have a three-bedroom unit available and then we have a few one-bedrooms,” Sulski said.
The staff at The Commons work closely with other service providers in the community to health, transportation, and childcare needs of their tenants.
Williams knows it can be difficult for veterans to accept an offer to help, even when the alternative means living on the streets.
“Sometimes when we get used to a routine, it’s hard to break it,” he said.
He hopes his story can inspire other veterans in the community to learn about available resources in the community.
Sulski encourages people interested in applying to call 719-785-0235. Leave a detailed voicemail with information about family size and composition, housing status, and income including any government assistance you are currently receiving. Remember to include a good phone number for the staff at The Commons to contact you in response.
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