The H.O.P.E. team helps a man overcome homelessness and substance use

The Office of Homeless Services is proud to present the third episode of the Pathways to Shelter video series featuring the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. The Pathways to Shelter video series is part of a larger effort led by Homeless Services to showcase the coordinated work that is being done to support individuals experiencing homelessness.

This episode features Kevin Bourke, who overcame homelessness and a severe addiction to drugs and alcohol with support from the Sheriff’s Department. As a result of his addiction, he found himself living in a riverbed encampment. Life was not always this way. Bourke had a good job and steady income working as an HVAC journeyman installing HVAC systems for sheriff stations, schools, fire departments and military bases. Everything changed after he was laid off from his last assignment installing an HVAC system at Fort Irwin near Barstow.

His employer told him to stay in a motel that they arranged for him, and they assured him that if he called in 30 days he could return to work. Before the layoff, Bourke was using drugs recreationally, but during this time in the motel, his drinking and substance use increased to a point where he became addicted. Once the 30 days were up, he did not call his employer back to see if there was any work available. He had some money saved and initially paid for the room himself after his employer stopped covering his stay. When he ran out of funds, he became homeless and eventually ended up in a riverbed encampment.

During that time, he faced a lot of challenges, including inclement weather, violence from other homeless individuals, and getting booked for public intoxication. It wasn’t until he got connected with the Sheriff’s H.O.P.E. team that he began to turn his life around.

“The H.O.P.E. team came out to the riverbed and they were really nice,” said Bourke. “They told me they were not there to take me to jail; they just wanted to talk to me. It was super cool because that never happened to me before. Prior to that, my experience with law enforcement was basically just getting arrested all the time, so they were kind of like my enemy.”

Bourke said the deputies asked him how long he had been out there, where he came from and why he was in the riverbed.

“I’m pretty sure that I was honest with them,” said Bourke. “Then they asked me if I wanted a second chance at life. No one has ever asked me that before. So, I thought about it for a second, and I was like, yeah, who wouldn’t.”

Bourke said they went on to explain that they were developing a housing program to support people experiencing homelessness. According to the Sheriff’s H.O.P.E. team, the pathway to shelter requires several steps. They offer housing vouchers through a permanent supportive housing program that is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the Housing Authority of the County of San Bernardino.

Before someone can be issued a voucher, they must qualify through interviews to make sure they meet the program’s requirements. This can take time. In addition, the client must also provide a birth certificate, Social Security card and other pertinent documents. Many times, people experiencing homelessness do not have these documents immediately available so they must obtain them. After the client obtains these documents, they are submitted to the Housing Authority for review and approval. Once the documents have been approved by the Housing Authority, the client can begin to search for a potential landlord.

After introducing the housing program to Bourke, the Sheriff’s H.O.P.E. team offered him shelter, but he refused, so they gave him a trash bag and asked him to start cleaning up his area. They said they would return in a couple of months.

“Sure enough, they came back,” said Bourke. “They were super cool, and they went into a little bit of detail about the housing program. They told me they would come back again in a month, only this time, they would invite a behavioral health specialist to interview me. I was excited for that, but at the same time, I didn’t really want to talk to a behavioral health specialist knowing that I was still using drugs. That’s when I decided to get sober because I knew that if I stopped drinking and doing drugs then maybe I’d be able to take their help.”

After that visit, Bourke said it took him four days to detoxify himself.

“I had never been sicker in my life, but after I finished detoxing, that’s when I went to my first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting,” he said. “I used the 12-step program from Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous and it changed my life.”

During that time, Bourke was interviewed by a behavioral health specialist and was placed on a waiting list. He called the Sheriff’s H.O.P.E. team every day to check on his status. After a couple of months, they called him back with some exciting news. They were able to secure a housing voucher for him and it was up to him to find a landlord that would accept it.

Eventually, he found an apartment that he still lives in today. He got his Class A truck driving license and no longer relies on the housing voucher that was previously issued to him. He also has a family, including a young daughter that he cherishes.

“I’m grateful to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department for the support they provided to me,” said Bourke. “I used to think of them as my enemies, but they turned out to be people that I really love and care for. I also want to say that homeless people can change. They can come out of a terrible situation and change their lives completely.”

Today, Bourke is not only independent and free from drugs and alcohol, but he’s also a leader with Alcoholics Anonymous and helps others overcome their addiction.

If you know someone who is struggling with homelessness, please call the Sheriff’s H.O.P.E. team at 909-387-0623 or email hope@sbcsd.org.

This testimony is just one of many that will be shared in a series of stories that aim to educate the public about homelessness and to keep the public informed about the county’s efforts to address homelessness.

Additional County Update News – August 28, 2025