In the latest episode of a video series on efforts to address homelessness, San Bernardino County officials shared another individual’s story of how she overcame homelessness.
The latest episode of the county Office of Homeless Services’ “Pathways to Shelter” video series focuses on Lucia Silva’s journey through homelessness in the Santa Ana River bottom and on to a more hopeful future after connecting with a county outreach team.
Silva grew up in the LA area with her mother and father before moving to San Bernardino when she was 21 to live with her grandmother. There she met someone who became her boyfriend, and he moved into the apartment where Silva and her grandmother lived. She also had children during this period.
According to Silva, her relationship was unstable in many ways, officials said. Silva and her boyfriend were evicted from her grandmother’s apartment, and Silva’s children moved to her parents home.
After the eviction, Silva had no other choice but to live on the streets, according to the county. She ended up living in the Santa Ana riverbed in near San Bernardino and Highland, an experience she described as terrifying and extremely dangerous. Silva had to be constantly on guard for potential abuse, especially as a female, officials said.
Compounding the challenges of living in the Santa Ana River bottom, she also grappled with the pain of being separated from her children.
“I left my children behind because I didn’t want them to be subjected to the way I was living,” Silva said in a statement. “Not having them in my life was very difficult, and my decision to leave them with family haunted me every day. However, I knew they were safe.”
After some time in the riverbed, her life took a positive turn when the sheriff’s department Homeless Outreach Proactive Enforcement, or HOPE Team found her during an Operation Shelter Me excursion. Officials said the program aims to connect people experiencing homelessness with housing, medical care and mental health treatment services.
After working with the HOPE Team through the steps that must be taken to qualify for a housing voucher, Silva eventually moved into an affordable housing unit developed by the county Community Development and Housing Department.
“CDH plays an integral role in addressing homelessness,” San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputy Mike Jones, a HOPE Team member, said in a statement. “They provide affordable housing to families and individuals that truly need it.”
Other affordable housing projects by CDH include Bloomington Grove & Lillian Court, Horizons at Yucaipa, Siena Apartments in Fontana and Pacific Village in San Bernardino, a 28-bed interim housing project that will soon expand to include 58 permanent supportive housing units.
“Our mission is to better the lives of individuals and the communities they live in by strategically investing and leveraging local, state and federal resources to revitalize our communities,” CDH Director Carrie Harmon said in a statement. “We’re grateful for the HOPE Team’s homeless outreach efforts and we’re proud to play a role in Lucia’s journey by providing her with a safe and stable home through one of our affordable housing projects.”
Since moving into CDH housing, Silva has begun to rebuild her life by finding employment and reuniting with her children.
“I truly believe that I am a miracle,” said Silva. “At one point, I couldn’t see any hope for myself but today I know there’s hope. I want to thank Deputy Mike Jones, 211, my counselor and CDH for supporting me. More importantly, I want to thank God for the many blessings I have been given along this journey.”
Currently Silva works as a caregiver and plans to go back to school to become a guidance counselor who supports at-risk youth.
More information on affordable housing in San Bernardino County is online at cdh.sbcounty.gov/affordable-housing-projects. To request assistance for someone experiencing homelessness, officials urged the public to call 909-501-0610.
The “Pathways to Shelter” series “is part of a larger effort led by OHS to showcase the coordinated work that is being done to support individuals experiencing homelessness,” according to the county.
Last year in San Bernardino County 4,255 people were experiencing homelessness, with 3,055 unsheltered, according to the county’s point-in-time count. Homelessness totaled 4,195 in 2023, with 2,976 unsheltered.
