SAN DIEGO — Mark Staten finally has a place to call home, complete with a full kitchen, a comfortable bed, and his own bathroom. “It's great,” he said with a big smile. “I love it. Everything is brand new, very secure.”
We first met Mark back in September 2023 as he was facing homelessness for the first time in his 62 years of life. We followed his journey as he tried to navigate the City's shelter system. Day after day he was turned away, leaving him with nowhere to go but the sidewalk. “That was outrageously incomprehensible,” he said. “ I couldn't wrap my mind around that at all.”
CBS 8 reached out to our contacts in this area and they pointed Mark toward the San Diego Rescue Mission, where they gave him a bed and access to counselors who worked to find him permanent housing. “My own place,” Mark said. “I can be here forever as long as I pay rent.”
Mark’s new home is in the Nestor Senior Village Apartments. It’s a brand-new low-income complex with 73 units for people with similar stories. “I met this woman this morning who apparently she stayed in her car for like a year,” Mark told us.
Mark felt so alone while going through his experience, but now realizes there are many San Diegans facing the same thing. For health reasons, he can no longer work, but he can donate his time to help others experiencing tough times.
“I plan on getting back involved in my church and just volunteering for whatever they need, distributing food, they have a lot of programs down there," he said.
Mark's advice to others facing homelessness? You're not alone. Don't give up because better days are ahead. “Mark is very happy today,” he said with a huge smile.
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