County’s success in serving the homeless includes housing for a woman and her son

After losing her job and being forced to live in her car with her son and two dogs, Tammie Turner and her family have found a stable home with assistance from the San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services (OHS).

Following a job loss, Turner fell behind in rent. By the time she found a new job, it was too late to discuss the terms with her landlord, so Turner and her son moved out. They relocated to a hotel, but when Turner ran out of money, they were forced to live in her car. During a homeless outreach visit on March 13, 2024, OHS staff encountered Turner and her son and placed them in a motel while they worked on connecting them to permanent housing.

“The San Bernardino County Office of Homeless Services made it possible for us to stay in temporary housing until we were ready to move into our new home,” said Turner.

Recently, Turner was contacted by a representative at the Housing and Disability Advocacy Program who referred her to a local landlord. After that, OHS assisted Turner with securing the apartment in San Bernardino. She describes it as the perfect place to call home with the area being so nice and peaceful. Upon moving in, Turner was gifted with new furniture, a stove, a refrigerator, bedding and a microwave.

“It was a well-run program, and I wholeheartedly thank everyone who was involved,” she said.

Turner mentioned that she was particularly pleased with how OHS collaborated with different agencies to provide the support she needed. Those partnerships made a significant difference in helping her get back on track and will continue to be instrumental for ongoing support.

“I’m really excited to celebrate this important milestone with Tammie and her family,” said OHS Chief Marcus Dillard. “We are happy to support her in any way that we can and look forward to helping more individuals get back on their feet quickly.”

OHS supports the unhoused community by connecting them to housing and supportive services as well as case management assistance so they can develop an individual service plan, identify and address barriers, find sources of income to increase stability and locate housing units.

Since January 2024, OHS has sheltered 102 individuals and connected 95 of them to permanent housing. If you know someone who is struggling with homelessness, please contact OHS at 909-501-0610. For more information about OHS, please visit their website.