Homes for All MN collects and shares housing stories to to show lawmakers the challenges Minnesotans are facing when it comes to having a safe, stable and affordable home. By sharing your story, you play a key part in gaining the support and understanding of elected officials and furthering Homes for All’s mission to advance housing stability for all Minnesotans. Kadi’s story is part of that effort. Join Kadi in sharing your story, and thanks for supporting Homes for All!

Growing up as part of a large family, Kadi has spent a good portion of her 18 years caring for others. After caring for a disabled sister and brother, she knew she wanted to help people living with a disability. Kadi set her sights on becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant or Personal Care Assistant.

But, when she suddenly faced homelessness in 2016, her dream was put at risk. Frantically, Kadi spent hours searching for a job and a home.

“I was so worried,” Kadi remembers. “I was on the computer everyday looking for a place to live, and then trying to look for a job, and then I realized I would have to stop my schooling to be able to work fulltime and find a place.”

Kadi could see her goal slipping further out of reach. “I didn’t want to be working at McDonald’s and not being able to focus on my school because that would keep me from being able to do what I want to do in the future,” she adds.

Kadi said it was “a blessing” when she found Gage East, a permanent supportive housing complex in Rochester for families and youth who’ve experience homelessness. Made possible by Housing Infrastructure Bonds, Gage East provides housing and wrap-around services — including case management and counseling — for more than 50 homeless families and youth.

A survivor of sexual assault, Kadi needed a place where she could feel safe. She knows to move forward and achieve her goal of becoming a nurse she needs to address her challenges with depression and anxiety. “I needed to find a place where I could focus on myself, be safe, and that is accommodating to what I want to do when I’m older,” Kadi said. “This is the perfect place for that.”

Kadi wants people to know that she’s driven to achieve her goals. “I’m working hard, and I’m studying for my GED,” she said. “Some people think that people who get into places like this just sit around and that they don’t have to go out and work. But that’s not true.”

Kadi will take her GED test in March.

“I’m just happy that I found a place that I feel like I can be able to start doing things, and be able to get farther into my life,” Kadi said. “This place has helped me in many ways.”

Gage East, made possible by Housing Infrastructure Bonds, is home to more than 50 families and youth who have experienced homelessness.