When Tiare Johnson walks through the door of his apartment at Anne’s Place, he doesn’t just see a couch, a bed, or a front door that locks—he sees something he’s long fought for: home.
Tiare was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, as one of eight children. “We lived with our mom and moved a lot. I grew up on food stamps and in public housing. And while we didn’t have much, we had each other.” Life taught him how to survive early. He joined the military, married young, and became a father to two children by his mid-twenties. But just as life seemed to settle, it unraveled.
After his wife was incarcerated, Tiare became the primary caregiver, raising two toddlers alone in Washington, DC. He moved in with a family member, but when they lost their house, the safety net that Tiare once relied on gave way. Once again, he had to rely on food assistance and found himself in DC’s shelter system in 2013.
Over the years, he cycled through transitional shelters, slept on his sister’s couch, and even spent time in abandoned buildings with no heat, no water, and no guarantee of safety. Work was hard to come by—and housing, even harder.
“I used to say to myself, ‘If I can just get through today, I’ll be okay,’” says Tiare.
He spent time living in a tent during the pandemic. “You get used to it after a while,” he says. “The floor is always wet. It’s always cold. It takes everything in you to keep moving.”
And then—finally—came a breakthrough. After connecting with Catholic Charities, and then Community of Hope’s permanent supportive housing program, Tiare was offered a permanent home at Anne’s Place.
He said yes immediately.
Recently, Tiare shared his story as a featured speaker at the Adas Israel Congregation., standing tall and proud with supporters from Community of Hope and Anne’s Place in the audience, cheering him on.
