After serious heart surgery, Paul knew he needed a fresh start.
What he didn’t expect was how much healing would come simply from being understood.
Paul, a Navy veteran, moved into Courtyard Commons, a Catholic Charities Housing community offering affordable apartments for veterans and seniors, after spending time at Samaritan House, the Catholic Charities shelter that was the first building in the nation designed specifically to support neighbors experiencing homelessness. At the time, he was recovering physically while also trying to regain stability in his daily life.
Coming to Courtyard Commons, he says, felt like “a saving grace.”
“They had a fully furnished apartment ready for me thanks to a federal program for veterans,” Paul says. “I could focus on getting my daily life and my mind right.”
Because of his surgery, Paul has difficulty walking long distances and now uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. Living at Courtyard Commons has made everyday life more manageable and accessible in ways that support both his physical and mental health.
For Paul, simple things like being able to easily get to the grocery store, access the nearby bus stop or spend time outdoors at Cheesman Park have become important parts of his healing.
“It helps just being able to get out and be around people,” Paul says.
For Paul, the apartment itself was only part of what made the experience meaningful. What mattered most was the community waiting for him there.
“Everyone just gets it here. Being in the armed forces is a bond we share.”
Courtyard Commons, has become a place where veterans naturally lean on one another. Conversations happen in hallways, over coffee and during quiet afternoons outside.
Some residents openly talk about their time in the military. Others don’t. But there’s comfort in knowing the people around you understand sacrifice, transition and the challenges that can follow military service.
Federal funding that supports veteran housing programs like this one is currently at risk of being cut. That possibility weighs heavily on Paul because he knows firsthand how life-changing stable housing can be.
“This place changed my life,” “I hope it changes other veterans’ lives too.”
He worries about veterans who may still be searching for stability after service — people recovering from health challenges, facing isolation or struggling to find housing they can afford.
“These are people who served. They deserve a place where they can heal too.”