GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — FOX 17 first told the story of Eastpointe Commons back in November. The apartment complex provides a place to stay for low-income people, and people experiencing homelessness.
Tuesday, we followed up to find out how things are going at the around $40 million housing complex.
We met Terry Swanson, an Army veteran, who successfully found housing at Eastpointe Commons.
“I can rest easy tonight. I couldn’t do that, not too long ago,” Terry Swanson said.
April 2024, Terry broke his arm. He says it was because of bone cancer. That meant Terry could no longer teach guitar lessons, his main source of income, anymore.
In October, Terry was told he had one week to leave where he was living. Next, he moved to temporary housing.
But his final place to stay, Eastpointe Commons, came only after he asked for help. His rent is $290 a month. The VA chips in for part of it, and Terry makes up the difference.
It's been a game changer. Terry says the process was at times difficult, with lots of meetings and paperwork. But it was all worth it.
“I’d do it all again, plus 10 times over, just to get to how I feel right now,” Terry Swanson said.
Terry was placed in Eastpointe Commons thanks to the help of Community Rebuilders and Hope Network.
“Terry was experiencing homelessness. Our organization helps individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. So he came in through our coordinated entry system for the community. He was able to connect with our housing resource specialist and with Hope Network to complete an application for Eastpointe Commons," Anna Diaz, vice president for Community Rebuilders, said.
Eastpointe Commons has more than 40 available apartments for people like Terry who are in need of permanent supportive housing. They offer wrap-around services for folks, too.
“We wanted to help the folks most in need. We partner with Community Rebuilders on a variety of things. In this particular building, they’re a partner to make sure that services that the folks that are getting permanent supportive housing are delivered through them,” Anthony Barker, executive director of Hope Network Housing and Community Development, said.
Terry says now, his cancer is healing. This happened only after the relief of finding housing.
“They’re doing infusion therapy once a month. And I’m on a lot of cancer medication. But inside my head and everything, now that I’m so relieved about having a place, they say I’m doing better. My bones are back 100%, they said around Christmastime. It was a Christmas miracle,” Swanson said.
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