The soft blue eyes and defined lines of Rickey Martin's face reveal a life lived the hard way and a heart open and tempered through experience. 

In his 69 years, Rickey has held many jobs and lived in different places from Seattle to Washington, D.C. He is no stranger to hard work and likes to feel productive, but through circumstance found himself homeless for four years before finding Casa de Esperanza, a supportive housing program of Next Move. He landed in Sacramento because he liked the city and the warm weather was a plus when living on the street or camping on the river.

Rickey wanted to find a stable home and with the help of a Sacramento Steps Forward Navigator found his way to Casa de Esperanza. Program Case Manager Charlotte Tate said he arrived with just a knapsack on his back. She helped him get an increase in his disability benefits which he didn't realize he was entitled to and she helped him get settled into an apartment of his own. Next Move provided new furniture and some supplies to get him started in his new home and he has been thriving there for a year.

"I'm so grateful! If you don't search, you won't find it. It's not going to work unless you work it, "said Rickey of his effort to change his situation. "I have a life again. I have a spiritual life and believe in something greater than myself. I have peace of mind because I have a home" he added.

The Casa de Esperanza program of Next Move provides permanent supportive housing to individuals with disabilities who are chronically homeless, meaning they have spent more than 12 months of the past two years living outdoors, and are challenged by permanent physical disabilities and often mental illness.  A majority of the 18 current residents are senior citizens who would otherwise not have a suitable place to sleep for the night if not for this critical program.