Jose had been homeless longer than he could remember. Over the past 10 years, he had spent time staying with family, living on the street, staying in abandoned trailers and homeless shelters, in jail, and receiving treatment at detox programs and mental health facilities.

Last year, Jose was accepted into Action Inc.’s Housing First program. He says it was a tough transition moving into his own apartment. “You get used to having people around you all the time, anytime, day or night,” Jose said. “Moving to my own place, I was alone. It was a struggle. But I had my team around me, my case manager and my psychiatrist. They’re there to help.”

Jose is the manager of two gas stations and has been living in an apartment in Gloucester. He shares that his mother visited earlier this month. “She told me she was proud of me,” he said with tears in his eyes.

After months of hard work, Jose’s holiday season just got a little brighter. Jose shared that he is receiving a family housing voucher through an expansion to the Housing First program. His longtime girlfriend and 4-year-old son will be moving in this week. “I worked hard for it to prove myself, and it paid off,” he said.

“It’s the best Christmas present ever and the only one I’ll ever need.”