An Advocate for Compassion: Gainesville Ambassador helps to house 25 in under 4 months
GAINESVILLE, Fla – Outreach Coordinator Eric Davis is a true beacon of compassion in his community. He is philosophical, passionate and devoted to helping individuals experiencing homelessness. With a motto of “Nothing is Impossible, it’s just a time issue,” he believes in holding space for people, meeting them where they are, consistently showing up in their lives and never giving up.
Since the Gainesville Community Reinvestment Area Ambassador Program launched in December of 2024, Eric has helped find housing for 25 people who were experiencing homelessness in Gainesville.
His secret? Using his connections to resources in the city to bridge gaps for accessible housing.
Single Room Occupancy: A Revolutionary Idea
Before joining the Block by Block ranks, Eric was the Director of Housing Services with St. Francis House, a shelter in Gainesville. It was there that he noticed a common problem: people on fixed incomes could not afford traditional rents as most rental facilities require applicants to earn an income of three times the rent.
“Living alone is a luxury most people can’t afford,” Eric said.
Eric searched for possible solutions to this housing crisis and found inspiration from college students who live affordably by sharing facilities and splitting expenses. He recognized the similarity between college dormitories and Single Room Occupancies, where individuals have their own bedrooms, but share kitchens and bathrooms with other renters.
He realized this same business model could be applied to help individuals experiencing homelessness get off the streets. While a person may not have enough to afford an entire rental unit, they could afford a Single Room Occupancy in a larger building.
Single Room Occupancies were popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when downtowns across the United States saw an increase in population density. Despite the transition away from Single Room Occupancies since, communal living opportunities do exist today and offer an affordable solution to living in large cities.
Eight years ago, Eric met a private real estate owner and convinced him to take a chance on the model. It worked, and today, that owner has ten properties that cater to single-tenant occupants. Eric has built a strong relationship with the owner and is now trusted to recommend tenants. No matter where a person is on their journey — even if they have bad credit, evictions or a poor history — Eric can get them in.
Eric says Single Room Occupancy buildings are like pseudo-family environments for many people he helps house who may not have had contact with their family for years or may not have any family left. Living together in a community-style environment empowers people to build relationships and rely on one another. These communities help people feel valued and appreciated, giving them the chance to make lasting change in their own lives.
Eric has formed relationships with numerous other Single Room Occupancy owners and has even been approached by two new parties interested in creating more communities like them. Through his connections, he can refer people to 17 different facilities in Gainesville and the surrounding areas, including 15 Single Room Occupancy facilities and two Assisted Living Facilities. He can also help them find financial support for move-in costs through local social service providers.
While Single Room Occupancies are a great resource, they are not for everyone. For older individuals or those needing more dedicated attention, Eric has found success recommending them to Assisted Living Facilities.
In the last few months, he has helped individuals with dementia, memory loss and mobility issues find housing through connections with Assisted Living Facility owners in the region. By moving off the streets and into these facilities, people with health issues can receive dedicated care as their needs progress.
Diverting Individuals Out of Homelessness
Another way Eric helps individuals living on the streets is by reconnecting them with a family member willing to support them.
Eric’s passionate, calm and encouraging demeanor serves him well when he meets a new street resident. By building a friendly rapport, Eric can learn a person’s story and find out if they have family somewhere who might be willing to support them.
If they have family, Eric will even make the call for them. He’ll explain the situation over the phone and find out if the family can help “divert” their loved one out of homelessness. In his experience, Eric has found that even if a person has made mistakes or been out of touch for years, the answer is yes.
The City of Gainesville and local social service providers will even provide bus tickets and other financial assistance to help get people experiencing homelessness back to their families.
Giving Others a Voice
Eric’s days are full of helping people and no two days are the same. Whether it’s by ordering birth certificates, building resumes and looking for jobs, setting up Social Security benefits and direct deposits, or applying for and securing housing — Eric is changing lives in Gainesville.
He believes sharing peoples’ stories is a powerful opportunity to raise awareness and get others involved in change to break stereotypes of homelessness.
“One of my favorite parts of my job is learning people’s stories,” Eric said. “Giving them a voice is important to me and the work that I do.”
Not Done Yet
As he finishes his degree in business, Eric dreams of applying the Single Room Occupancy model he has used to help individuals find housing in Gainesville on a grand scale.
“I know in my being, the system I created eight years ago I can duplicate anywhere,” Eric said.
Eric’s work has caught the attention of local community organizations. In addition to being approached by investors interested in his work with Single Room Occupancies, Safety Net Collaborative, a county-wide initiative that brings service providers together through the University of Florida, reached out to him to include Block by Block in their efforts. He will even be a featured speaker at one of their events in November.
“So many of us think the world can’t change, that we can’t change the world,” Eric said. “I don’t buy that. My experience has taught me I am a part of this world. We all are.”
Their Stories
As part of Eric’s personal mission to highlight people’s stories, we’d like to share a little bit about some of the individuals Eric has helped over the last few months.
Eric received permission from each of the following individuals to share their photos and stories.
Antonio
Antonio is a professional dancer who had encountered some struggles that led him to living on the streets in Gainesville.
“He talked about dance like it was the air in his lungs,” Eric said.
Eric helped to get him housing and back into dance spaces so he could pursue his passion again.
“Outreach isn’t just about food or shelter, it’s about reminding people they are still worthy of their dreams,” Eric said. “Antonio isn’t a homeless man who dances; he’s a dancer who faced homelessness, and his story is exactly why we need more people to believe in the power of second chances.”
Shawn
“Shawn is what society would call ‘invisible homeless,’” Eric said.
Eric met Shawn when he was working a full-time job and paying taxes. He was living out of a tent on the streets because he couldn’t afford rent. Eric encouraged him to save up for Single Room Occupancy move-in costs. He did, and thanks to Eric and his connections, Shawn was off the streets a month later.
Jimil
Jimil, like Eric, is a father. Jimil told Eric if he had his own home that his youngest children could visit and celebrate life’s successes. Now, that dream can happen.
“Man, I really appreciate you guys and what you have done for me. I was ready to give up. I didn’t think I was ever going to have a home again,” Jimil told Eric.
Stewart
Stewart’s life wasn’t always defined by hardship. In the 1980s, he was an exceptional hockey player drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins into the National Hockey League. He turned down the opportunity to pursue business, ultimately becoming an executive at General Motors.
Eventually, his life took a turn as personal struggles led him to alcoholism and living in his car, and then the streets. Suffering from dementia, he had lost track of his Social Security benefits and pension.
“He would tell me: ‘I don’t want to die on these streets downtown. I really want an ALF [Assisted Living Facility] and three hot meals a day,’” Eric said.
Eric began calling Social Security for Stewart and after a long two weeks of calling, he finally got through. Stewart is now living in an Assisted Living Facility with a new bank account, direct deposit and his three hot meals a day.
Birdman
Birdman suffers from a Traumatic Brain Injury that affects his day-to-day life, but he always has a smile on his face and a great sense of humor. After experiencing chronic homelessness, Eric found a private owner who would house him and even drove him to sign the lease.
“I’ll never forget what you guys have done for me. I am going to go lay down in my bed and cry,” Birdman told Eric.
Ms. Tracie
Ms. Tracie has experienced chronic homelessness for decades, first becoming homeless at age nine. Today, she is completely blind.
Eric was able to connect Ms. Tracie with an eye surgeon who is scheduling a cataract surgery for her. She will be able to see for the first time in years.
Shantell
Shantell moved to Gainesville to live with her brother but encountered struggles once she arrrived. Despite working a full-time job and a second job, she couldn’t support her three daughters.
After finding out she and her daughters had to sleep in their car overnight, Eric scrambled to find a solution. Confirming they had family willing to help them in Ft. Lauderdale, Eric purchased them food and a gas card to get them there.
Instead of entering into the homeless system, they will stay with family until they can get back on their feet.
Gary
“I was concerned we would lose this man who fought for all of our freedoms,” Eric said.
Gary, a Vietnam Veteran, had been chronically homeless for nearly a decade, with his health in decline in more recent years. He has limited mobility and memory issues.
“Please get me off these streets, my mind is going,” he told Eric.
Eric worked with an Assisted Living Facility to accomplish that goal and now Gary can rest easy, receiving the care he needs and deserves.