Mr. Rocha was born and raised in Austin, Texas. He’s someone who enjoys the simple things: a quiet afternoon, a round of frisbee golf, staying in rather than going out. Home has always meant peace to him. But for a long time, it was something he didn’t have.
After serving four years in the United States Army, including time at war in Iraq, life didn’t go the way Mr. Rocha had hoped. Like many veterans, his experiences changed him. After getting out of a difficult personal situation, he found temporary safety in hotel rooms. It was the closest thing he had to stability. Until the money ran out.
With nowhere else to go, Mr. Rocha found himself experiencing homelessness in the city he grew up in. He turned to a local homeless resource center for help. The most they could offer at the time was placement on a waiting list. And so, he waited, for seven long months.
The hardest part, he says, was sleeping on the street. The steady encouragement from his VA case worker was the only thing keeping him hopeful.
“My VA case worker assured me that I was moving up on the list and that I had to stick to the process.”
Seven months later, he received the call that changed everything. He was connected to Front Steps for housing support.
The day he received the keys to his new home was a day he will always remember. The last time Mr. Rocha had a place of his own was in 2015. Nearly a decade had passed since he had experienced that kind of stability.
Today, he is proud of how far he’s come. With support from Front Steps, his apartment isn’t just four walls, it’s furnished. It’s stocked with household essentials. It’s a place where he can rest, reset, and rebuild.
“I truly appreciate all the help. Without them, I wouldn’t have furniture, household goods, nothing.”
Now, Mr. Rocha’s focus is on the future. His goal is to apply for jobs and save enough money to purchase a vehicle so he can reliably get to and from work. He’s determined to build stability that lasts. And to anyone else struggling, especially veterans facing homelessness, he offers this advice:
“Don’t give up. It’s worth it at the end if you stick it out. And if anyone is reading this, talk to somebody. It means a lot when they’re homeless. Get to know their story.”
At Front Steps, we believe every veteran deserves more than a waiting list. They deserve a home. They deserve support. They deserve to be known beyond their circumstances. Because behind every statistic about veteran homelessness in Austin is someone like Mr. Rocha. Someone who served, someone who struggled, and someone who simply needed a chance to come home again.
If you believe our veterans deserve that chance, we invite you to support Front Steps. Your generosity helps provide housing support for veterans and ensures more neighbors like Mr. Rocha don’t have to wait years to unlock their next chapter
Donate Today to change lives like Mr. Rocha’s.
