For more than a decade, David Rodriguez lived by a lot of rules and restrictions.
The kitchen in the house where he rented a room was often off-limits, forcing him to rely on takeout dinners. Rodriguez’s landlords, who were also his roommates, told everyone to reduce their electricity use to keep energy bills low, he said. He’d get scolded for watching TV. He couldn’t have friends over, not even his Tuesday prayer group.
“I ate and slept on their word,” said Rodriguez, 57. “I was like a hermit crab in a cave.”
The house in Windsor, a Sonoma County town about an hour and 20 minutes north of San Francisco, was at first a sanctuary. He had moved there in 2012 after fleeing Las Vegas, where his life had careened into a dangerous cycle of alcohol and drug abuse. He turned his life around in Sonoma County, but endured a challenging living situation until this year when the Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund stepped in to help.
Rodriguez had a lot to overcome. In Vegas, he’d lost his bartending job and apartment. He fathered a son but wasn’t allowed to see him. He slept on the streets or in motels. His days centered on getting his next fix. He thought about ending his life.
But other thoughts were also spinning in his head. Rodriguez knew this wasn’t how he wanted to live. He started praying. Finally, he called his family.
A cousin, a Christian pastor in Sonoma County, sent him a one-way ticket back to the Bay Area. Rodriguez, who grew up in Oakland, got on the plane empty-handed, leaving his clothing, a television, a bicycle and everything else behind. He was willing to do anything to change his life.
“I’ve been clean and sober since,” Rodriguez said.
He got a job cleaning rooms at Healdsburg Hospital. He became a regular at Tuesday night prayer meetings for a group of men at his church.
He knew right away that the house in Windsor wasn’t a great fit. In 2016, he applied for a spot in local nonprofit Burbank Housing and was put on the waiting list for an affordable unit.
“I can’t tell you how many nights I woke up in a cold sweat”
Meanwhile, his health suffered. Complications from diabetes, which had gone untreated for years, damaged his nerves and blood vessels. Doctors had to amputate portions of his right foot. He began losing his vision and is now legally blind.
At the house in Windsor, he had to climb a long staircase to get to his room and often fell, sometimes spilling his takeout dinner. He said his landlords often left mean notes in the shared bathroom. The stress took its toll.
“I can’t tell you how many nights I woke up in a cold sweat,” he said.
Eight years had passed since he’d been placed on a waiting list for affordable housing. But this summer, he got that long-awaited call. A one-bedroom apartment was available, but he had to provide a security deposit right away. His vision loss meant he couldn’t work anymore. He was trying to set up a massage business — work that he could do with limited vision — but didn’t have the cash.
Joanne Matson, a Catholic aid worker, said it was clear Rodriguez needed a new living situation, and she was impressed by his positive attitude about the application process.
“If he needed to send me copies of things, he would walk 45 minutes to the UPS store,” Matson said. “He has that great attitude — ‘I’m capable.’”
Matson helped Rodriguez apply for help from Season of Sharing. The fund works throughout the year to prevent homelessness and hunger in the Bay Area’s nine counties. All donations directly help people in need, with administrative costs covered by the Chronicle and the Walter and Evelyn Haas Jr. Fund.
Season of Sharing covered the security deposit and two months’ rent. In August, Rodriguez moved into a one-bedroom apartment on the ground floor of an apartment complex in Santa Rosa.
“Total. Absolute. Gratitude”
The move has been life-changing, Rodriguez said. He can walk to nearby shops, the grocery store, bank and bus stops. He’s welcoming his prayer group over on Tuesday nights with steaming bowls of gumbo and other recipes he’s rediscovering after many years of very little cooking. He takes art classes and tells anyone who will listen that they can change their lives.
He still struggles with health issues. In November, an ulcer on his foot worsened and he has been hospitalized with complications since. The pain has been difficult but he is undeterred.
But he has a safe and quiet home to return to.
“Total. Absolute. Gratitude,” Rodriguez said.
Reach Julie Johnson: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com; X: @juliejohnson
Photos by: Jessica Christian/The Chronicle
At Season of Sharing Fund, we believe that an unexpected financial crisis should never mean losing your home. Preventing homelessness isn’t just kind—it’s also the most effective way to keep our communities thriving. 100% of your donation keeps Bay Area residents housed, cared for and nourished.
