HSH Success Stories: Housing Ladder

Stable housing changes everything. These stories show how housing programs help people move from crisis to community through long-term support and deeply affordable homes—and what happens when people finally have a place to call their own.

Homelessness and Supportive Housing

A Fresh Start for Fareedah: First Housed Through Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool

After a decade of cycling between homelessness and incarceration, Fareedah Shabazz finally found stability through San Francisco’s Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP)—becoming the first tenant to secure housing through the innovative program. Most recently, Fareedah had been staying at a Shelter-In-Place (SIP) hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic, where she continued to face barriers to securing permanent housing.

Thanks to the persistence and support of her case managers and housing coordinators, Fareedah transitioned into her new apartment with dignity and care. “They made me feel like I belonged,” she shared of the experience.

The FHSP is designed to rapidly connect people experiencing homelessness to permanent housing, especially those with complex barriers like justice system involvement. The program pairs rental subsidies with wraparound case management to ensure long-term stability. For Fareedah, this opportunity has been life-changing—a chance to build a future with support, compassion, and the security of a home.

*all names changed to protect client privacy