Mini's Story
'I'm just proud of myself that I never gave up.'
Mini, who also goes by Luichi, experienced homelessness and housing instability for years. Being a survivor of sex trafficking and a former sex worker presented additional barriers to leaving homelessness for housing.
“The lack of legal income, for me, was a problem. I didn’t have any way to prove that I could pay rent,” she said.
New Avenues for Youth helps Mini find housing
Things changed when she connected with New Avenues for Youth’s New Day program. The program supports youth ages 12-25 who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing sex trafficking or exploitation.
Through funding allocated by the Joint Office of Homeless Services from the Supportive Housing Services measure, New Avenues provided Mini with a year of rent assistance so she could stabilize and get her life back.
“It was really exciting for me to be able to get my own place,” she said.
After one year in the program, Mini then accessed a tiered system of rent, where every three months the amount she pays increases, until she is able to pay the full amount herself. This tiered model, when combined with case management and support services, has been highly successful in helping people stay housed for the long-term.
Mini becomes massage therapist
With that stability, after a year and a half in the program, Mini received a license in massage therapy, and is now working as a licensed massage therapist.
“I’m most proud of myself for just sticking to that, and not bailing on it, and not giving up”, she said.
