Carl

The word many people at Flower City Apartments use to describe Carl is “reserved.” But one suspects that his quiet demeanor might simply reflect the many losses Carl has endured in the past two years—the end of a relationship; the loss of his job; and perhaps most significantly, an involuntary separation from his six children. Today, Carl is patiently rebuilding his life one step at a time; and having a secure, stable place to live has been an important part of his continued recovery.

Carl, 36, is originally from New York City, but after his mother passed away, his father moved the family to Rochester. Carl graduated from East High School in 2006.

After ending a relationship with a longtime girlfriend and mother of two of his six children, Carl began to struggle with homelessness. As the oldest of seven, Carl says he could “never put that on them,”[the responsibility to help him find housing] and so he began to live day by day, sleeping on the streets or at local shelters. The most painful part of this struggle was living apart from, and not seeing, his children.
When Carl met Jamil Porter, a Homeless Outreach Specialist from PCHO, he was connected to a life-changing opportunity: safe, secure housing at Flower City Apartments. He moved into a one-bedroom apartment in March 2023 – a space where his children can come to visit him.

While Carl’s struggles are significant, he is luckier than many people. Overall, he has a good employment record. Carl was particularly happy working at 84 Lumber, where he learned a great deal about different types of wood. But Carl fell on hard times, transportation was difficult and unreliable, and that opportunity ended. Today, with an apartment and a mailing address for the first time in years, he’s stocking shelves and keeping his focus on doing a good job and earning an income. But this job feels temporary as he continues to find himself and set his sights on something more fulfilling.

As he works on these day-to-day challenges, Carl is particularly thankful to have a stable living situation at Flower City that has allowed him a safe space to reconnect and make memories with his children.

Connecting. Reconnecting. Both describe Carl’s continuing journey. As he says, “Nothing is better than creating relationships with the people you love.”