Stone’s Fight for a Home
From Living in His Car to Dreaming of His Future
Stone enjoys cooking his favorite Italian meals that he learned from his mother in his new kitchen.
After more than three years of living in his car, and even riding out Hurricane Helene in it, Stone was unsure he would ever get housing in Asheville. Dreaming of his future wasn’t possible as he feared for his own safety and struggled to get his basic needs met.
It wasn’t until a medical-legal partnership connected Stone to Pisgah Legal Services and Attorney Brian Dufresne, that Stone could finally see a future that he’s excited about.
“Housing was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to fight for,” said Stone. “Just this small thing that was done for me — getting this house — opened up so many other possibilities for me.”
Challenges Stack Up
Stone originally came to Asheville to get away from the area where he was severely bullied in high school. He had intentions of figuring out what he wanted to do with his life and accessing services, such as housing, but things didn’t quite go as planned.
| “Housing was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to fight for,” said Stone. “Just this small thing that was done for me — getting this house — opened up so many other possibilities for me.” |
He got on waiting lists for housing and waited years for a spot to open. One finally did but the call came while he was out of town helping his mother care for sick family members. Because he had been exposed to meningitis, he had to remain in quarantine for a time before returning to Asheville and explained this to the housing authority who needed him to come in for paperwork.
Once back, he discovered they had removed him from the list, and he would need to start the process all over again. Stone was back to square one and stuck living in his car.
He said his mother was constantly worried that with him being autistic and experiencing homelessness, people would try to take advantage of him. Stone was even the victim of a carjacking at one point, but he knew that going back to where he came from would be more than his mental health could take.
Then Hurricane Helene hit.
Helene’s Wake-Up Call
Stone lived through prior hurricanes, but Helene was the worst he experienced. He was afraid during the storm, and his car suffered some damage, but he made it through. It was afterwards when there was chaos that he felt the need to leave for a while. He headed down to Charleston briefly before he made the decision that he just needed to go home for a while until things settled down.
Unfortunately, his biggest fear came true. Once back in the area where he had gone to school, he found himself spiraling mentally. With feelings of shame and depression, Stone returned to Asheville to check himself into the hospital.
“Helene did a wake-up call,” said Stone. “You’ve got to get your housing. You’ve got to get your stuff going. You have dreams and those dreams aren’t just going to come up without taking some form of action.”
It was then that Stone was connected to Brian and Pisgah Legal and a domino effect began. Stone said Brian “waved his magic wand” and things began to happen.
“Now I have a secret weapon, and his name is Brian,” said Stone.
Brian and his team got to work. He advised Stone on working with the Assistant District Attorney about the carjacking case and how to get restitution through the crime victims compensation program to help pay for property damages and medical/therapy bills. Brian’s team also collected medical documentation on the quarantine that prevented Stone from getting his housing and requested reasonable accommodations to push him back to the top of the list. Within months, Stone moved into his own apartment.
Opening a Door to Hope and Dreams
Stone now has a place to display items given to him by a friend and make himself a home.
Getting settled into a new place wasn’t just about making a home for himself. It wasn’t even just about safety or being able to access the things he needed. For Stone, opening the door to his own apartment also opened a world of possibilities.
“It’s taken a huge weight off of my shoulders,” said Stone. “I feel like I’ve now been given a golden ticket in a way.”
Because of Brian and Pisgah Legal, Stone now dreams of his future. It was something he had not done for himself in years.
“Sometimes there are not even words because it’s so relieving,” said Stone. “It took a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get me here. Not only has my life changed, but I started getting some hope. I don’t have to worry about housing anymore.”
Collaboration between attorneys and health care providers through Pisgah Legal’s Medical-Legal Partnership Program helps solve these types of problems for patients. When housing, education, safety, and financial needs are met, it leads to more holistic care.
With Brian’s help, Stone will qualify for Section 8 housing by the end of this summer. At that time, Stone plans to move to Wilmington where he wants to study hurricanes and become a meteorologist.
“I have that plan because of Brian,” said Stone. “I don’t think Brian knows how much good he’s done for me.”