For nearly 30 years, Judy had almost everything she could want: jobs as a preschool teacher and hospital file clerk, a beautiful home and garden in San Diego’s Clairemont neighborhood, her husband, Daniel, and her beloved dogs.
But when Daniel died in 2012, Judy’s dream of a quiet retirement disappeared overnight. Her husband had gambled away their savings, including a $400,000 retirement pension, and had taken out three mortgages on their home.
“It was a big slap to the face learning that after 30 years of working, I had nothing. I cursed him for so long for what he had done to me,” she said.
Swamped by debt, Judy, 52, struggled to hold onto her home but failed. In less than three years, she was living on the street.
“My first week on the streets of San Diego, I was attacked by a homeless man,” Judy said. “He broke my back and my left shoulder, he bit me and he stole my cellphone, ID and dentures. I learned not to be so trusting after that.”
When Judy’s bones mended, she bought a baseball bat to make sure others knew she was serious.
For 10 years, Judy routinely fended off attackers with verbal lashings and bat swings. She was robbed on a regular basis. She begged for money to clothe herself and scavenged for food from dumpers and through food banks.
She became one of many seniors on the street – California’s fastest growing homeless population – who struggle every day to survive. In 2024, an estimated 146,000 Americans ages 55 and older became homeless.
“I got so lonely out there because I didn’t have anyone,” she said.
But she never gave up trying to find a home. Now 65, Judy connected with the Alpha Project, a San Diego nonprofit supporting homeless individuals, which helped her secure a permanent home in January at National CORE’s Santa Fe Senior Village.
And everything changed.
Overwhelmed, Judy broke down in tears the day she walked into her new apartment.
“It is so nice to be able to walk into my own room and not have to share anything with 50 other homeless people,” Judy said. “National CORE even gave me my own set of pots and pans, so I’m looking forward to all the homecooked meals I’m going to make myself.”
National CORE, one of the nation’s largest developers of affordable housing, built Santa Fe Senior Village with people like Judy in mind – providing San Diego’s aging population with a community where they can age with dignity, grace and security.
Judy is settling into her new life at Santa Fe Senior Village. One piece at a time, she is stitching her life back together. She’s learning to trust people again and getting used to the sense of security that comes with stable housing.
Judy is even ready to forgive her husband.
“If Daniel were here right now, I would still curse him out for what he did, but I would also forgive him,” Judy said. “Keeping all that anger and resentment inside – it’s not good for anyone. It’s like a stain on the soul. I loved him. I still love him.”
Most importantly, Judy wants people to see her as a person and not a faceless statistic of homelessness.
“I’m thankful to National CORE for everything and letting people see me,” she said. “I’m not a bad person or less of a person just because I was homeless. I want people to see me for what’s on the inside.”
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