Finding hope after homelessness: A Miami woman’s road to recovery

This article first appeared in the Miami Herald in collaboration with the Lee Caplin School of Journalism and Media.

The knock on Monica Colson’s door was sharp and jarring, cutting through the quiet of an early December morning. When she opened it, two officers stood before her. They were there to inform her that she had been evicted from her rental apartment and needed to leave the premises immediately. 

It was a final order to pack up and go. 

“They said they sent a notice, but I didn’t get it, nothing on my door,” Colson recalled. 

As the shock set in, she realized she had no time to argue. Her friend’s son had been shot near the mailbox just weeks earlier, and she couldn’t risk lingering in a place that already felt unsafe. 

The 59-year old mother of four with 10 grandkids, never imagined homelessness would find its way into her life. But mounting bills coupled with an unexpected health scare created a domino effect, leaving her unable to make rent. 

Colson, who had been on disability since 2020, had worked a series of part-time jobs over the years — at Target and the Marlins ballpark — before her health took a toll. Despite her efforts, the financial strain of rising expenses became insurmountable. The months that followed, she said, tested her resilience in ways she never expected. 

Colson’s battle to keep her apartment at Liberty City’s Lincoln Field Apartments was a losing one — not for lack of trying. She spent countless hours shuttling between the Joseph Caleb Center Court and community hearings, pleading her case against Lincoln Fields management for unsanitary conditions and negligence. Each week, she witnessed dozens of her neighbors face the same fate. 

“They evicted at least 25 people a week,” she recalled. “I’m just me, but there were people with kids, people trying to work things out. That was the hardest part — trying to get them to understand I had nowhere else to go, that I was trying.” 

Despite qualifying for emergency rental assistance, Colson found her options limited. “The apartment complex said they didn’t accept that program. I was fighting to hold on to something that needed to be condemned, but it was the only place I had to call mine,” she said. 

In May 2023, Lincoln Fields Apartments, faced mounting controversy as residents rallied against alleged illegal evictions and reported hazardous living conditions. The complex, located at 2051 N.W. 66th St. in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, was soon bought by Buena Vista Apartments LLC for $21.99 million in February of this year. 

After being evicted in December of 2023, Colson found her way to The Caring Place, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals transition from homelessness to stability. However, she was initially reluctant to stay. 

“She struggled in the beginning, she didn’t want to be here,” said Samantha Jenkins, case manager at The Caring Place who worked closely with Colson during her stay. “She struggled with structure and following the rules, which is common for people in her situation. But what stood out was her willingness to try, even when it was hard.” 

Through financial literacy classes, life skill workshops and counseling, Colson began to regain her footing. After six months, she graduated from the program and is now living in transitional housing, addressing health issues she had been forced to neglect during her time of homelessness. She is currently recovering from carpal tunnel surgery on her right arm. 

“Once I worked with the program, things started to change,” Colson said. “You are never too old to learn and that was a path I needed to cross- it wasn’t by mistake, it was by faith.” 

At The Caring Place, Colson found more than just shelter and support. “The Caring Place is a community in and of itself,” she said. “We have events together, share dinner together. Once my apartment is ready and I am healed from my surgery, I am ready to go back and volunteer.”

Monica Colsons new home at 8201 Pembroke Rd in Pembroke Pines, FL, symbolizes a fresh start after months of hardship. (Carla Mendez/Caplin News)

On June 6, 2024, Colson moved into her new apartment, and now, with the holiday season quickly approaching, she is excited to celebrate in her own space for the first time in a long time. 

Now settled into her new home, Colson is focused on making it feel truly hers. Her biggest wishes in her new home: a softer mattress to ease her back pain, pots and pans, an area rug and a television. 

“Now, I finally have a place where I can breathe, where I can start over,” Colson said. “After everything, I just want to feel at home again.” 

Carla Daniela Mendez is a senior studying Digital Communications and Media with a minor in Political Science. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she is passionate about writing and contributes to FIU’s student-run publication, PantherNOW, where she has covered Sports and News. Additionally, Carla writes for STRIKE magazine, a student publication that explores art, culture, and fashion, allowing her to pursue her creative writing aspirations. Following graduation, she wishes to become a political journalist and work in news while continuing to explore creative writing.