Merri Gussin was living in a sober living house in Kingman before she came to Flagstaff.
She is a recovering addict with a host of medical problems. She was on a continuing cycle of living in the halfway house, relapsing and getting thrown out until she could get clean again.
Gussin is also a veteran.
"Crack was my downfall," she said, sitting in a chair in an eastside apartment she now calls her own.
Gussin is the first recipient of funds distributed to the Flagstaff Housing Authority through the U.S. Veterans Administration to house chronically homeless veterans.
"Because of this program, I didn't spend one night out in the open," Gussin said, smiling.
Gussin is one of 24 veterans and their families in Flagstaff who will receive the funding, said Dru Monroe, social worker for the program.
The program is part of a national $800 million effort by the VA to help homeless veterans -- $75 million of which has been set aside to help house chronically homeless veterans like Gussin permanently, Monroe said.
Michael Gouhin, executive director of the Flagstaff Housing Authority (the local extension of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development), said Flagstaff received about $260,000 from the VA.
The money is specifically meant for homeless veterans to overcome barriers to stabilization in the past, Monroe said. She serves as Gussin's case worker -- helping her with her medical and other needs.
Gussin's 600-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment costs $940 a month, with utilities included.
"So, I have no bills in this house," she said.
Gussin, who often walks with the help of a walker, suffers from fibromyalgia, diabetes and osteoarthritis. She was in the U.S. Army for about a year beginning in 1977, right out of high school. After leaving, she began her downward spiral into homelessness. She has been sober this time for five months. She moved to Flagstaff in the summer and was put up in local motels by the VA until she was accepted into the new program in December.
She's been in her apartment for about a month, and Monroe said it is hoped the funding will be in place for Gussin to remain in housing permanently. Gussin added that she is currently applying for Social Security benefits and, when accepted, will then be required to devote one-third of that money toward her rent.
"I'm absolutely enchanted with Flagstaff," Gussin said. "I'm really loving it."
Her home is sparsely decorated with furniture and other items donated by St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Catholic Church and other nonprofits in the city. She also received cookware and food. Clothing has been generously provided by Goodwill Industries, she said. She received help in getting into the place from Coconino County Community Services as well.
If Gussin were to relapse, Monroe said that it would not be a deal breaker, but Gussin quickly said that because she lives in a housing complex designated crime-free, she would get thrown out of her apartment.
So she regularly attends 12-step meetings, counseling sessions and keeps away from negative influences to her sobriety, she said. Without the help she is receiving, she would be back to cycling through halfway houses.
"I haven't had my own place in 30 years," Gussin said. "It's mine, and I'm proud of it."
For more information on the VASH-HUD program to house homeless veterans, call Dru Monroe at (928) 308-7118, or e-mail Elisabeth.Monroe@va.gov.
Larry Hendricks can be reached at lhendricks@azdailysun.com or 556-2262.
