A Place to Call Home
A family’s journey out of homelessness
From Left: Terrance, Crystal, MaryLynn and Robert cozy up on their living room couch in their new apartment in Chico.
For many, it was just a typical Friday afternoon in December. But for Crystal, Robert and their children, MaryLynn and Terrance, it was an exciting day – it was the day furniture got delivered to their first home after years of experiencing homelessness.
Three years ago, the family suffered losses that would forever change their life, including the passing of Crystal’s beloved mother.
Her family became homeless and struggled to make it by. For years, they used what limited income they had for food and motels, sometimes living out of tents or a van. At the same time, Crystal enrolled in community college. She prayed it would be the key to a better future for her family.
“I wanted to not just tell my kids how to be successful, but to show them. I want them to be proud of me. I want to leave something for them when I leave the Earth.”
Crystal kept up with her school work and maintained excellent grades even while her family was unhoused, graduating spring 2023. When she was accepted into all of the universities she applied to, she couldn’t believe that her dreams were coming true. “I kept refreshing the screen, thinking ‘Does it really say what it says?’” she said with a smile.
After Crystal started her first semester at Chico State in August 2023, she received support from the Chico State Basic Needs department on campus, an important partner of True North Housing Alliance. Basic Needs got her connected to True North’s home for families experiencing homelessness, which is called Aurora North. There, families live together in a shared home temporarily while they work with True North case managers on securing their own permanent place to live.
Despite her initial fears of fitting in and being judged, Crystal found the opposite to be true. True North not only accepted and welcomed her family, but kept them safe, housed and together.
“Our journey hasn’t always been good. It got really ugly, to the point where my husband and I wanted to file for divorce,” she said. “The Aurora North house taught us how to be a family again. It was hard at first, but it became our home. It was the most stability we had in three years.”
After four months of hard work, the family moved into their own place in Chico, a modest apartment in a quiet neighborhood—just in time for Thanksgiving!
Move-in day: It was an emotional day for Robert, Crystal, MaryLynn and Terrance when they moved into their first apartment in years in November 2023.
On a recent afternoon, as Crystal studied for her finals at their apartment kitchen table, her daughter, MaryLynn, got ready for her first school dance. She asked her mother to help fasten the buttons on the collar of her dress, and then turned around to embrace her.
Crystal is studying psychology, aiming to become a forensic neuropsychologist. Her son, Terrance, said he’s been inspired by his mother, and also wants to follow in her footsteps and go to Chico State.
Throughout her journey, Crystal said that she and her family have been surrounded by a lot of support from True North—her case managers Janeil H. and Serina G., and Aurora House Manager Patricia A. have all been sounding boards and sources of kind and firm support.
They helped her maintain balance in her life as a student, reminding her to take care of herself to avoid burnout.
“She’s very determined and I have seen a lot of ambition in her,” Janeil said. “I had to remind her about self care and that her mental health matters.”
They also became a source of constant encouragement and support, helping the family maintain hope while they were apartment searching.
Both Serina and Patricia are mothers who have experienced homelessness while raising their children, they shared. Their lived experience helped Crystal and Robert’s family feel comfortable and accepted, the family said. They knew that the folks helping them understood what they were going through.
“Y’all accepted us for who we were,” Terrance said.
Patricia said that letting families she works with know her story shows them that “you can move forward,” sometimes “it just takes time.”
She was impressed by Crystal’s outlook despite everything she has been through. “She always stayed positive, even when things didn’t go her way,” Patricia said.
Serina added that Crystal was very transparent with True North about her struggles and her goals.
“She was motivated. She was open to anything. She just wanted a place to call home.”
Crystal visits Chico State with her children, MaryLynn and Terrance. It has always been her dream college. She’s currently an honors student studying psychology.
No matter what her family was going through, Crystal prayed for this opportunity every night—the opportunity to have their own home again, to be a family again.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It might take a long time to get there, and it might go out a few times, but it’s there,” she said. “There are people who care and will help you, and it’s not a hand out, it’s a hand up to where you still have pride in yourself and your accomplishments. I owe everything to True North, to Aurora.”
This holiday season, Crystal, Robert, MaryLynn and Terrance said they were excited to bake Christmas cookies, snuggle up in their living room by the light of the Christmas tree and watch movies together.
“Keep striving, don’t give up, give things a chance,” Robert said. “There are good organizations and good people out there.”
From left: Robert, Crystal and their children Terrance and MaryLynn stand in front of their Christmas tree in their new apartment in Chico.