Former homeless Veteran connects others with temporary housing

Veterans facing homelessness can find more than a safe place to sleep at YWCA Gateway Independence facility in Providence, Rhode Island. They can also find invaluable advice and support from someone who’s been in their shoes.

Army Veteran Mike McRae once lived at Gateway to Independence. Now, he’s the YWCA director of Veterans affairs, where he remains ready to help other Veterans navigate their way back from homelessness.

“There is a way out. There is a way up. It’s a marathon. You have to take it day by day and sometimes even break the day up hour by hour and minute by minute,” McRae shared.

Rewarding military service

McRae’s military career began when his father, a Vietnam War Veteran, died in 1989. It was McRae’s first year of college and he decided to join the Army both for financial reasons and to honor his father’s memory.

This time was unbelievably rewarding for him. McRae said he fit more into his two years of service than he thought possible, including playing on military sports teams and having a chance to meet other soldiers from around the country. Most notably, he served on a humanitarian mission to Florida after Hurricane Andrew and loaded tanks onto rail lines in Germany during the first Gulf War.

But he also brought back one unwanted souvenir from Europe: a problem with alcohol.

Searching for security

Feeling adrift after he was discharged, McRae moved in with his stepmother and secured a job in sales. His issues with alcohol would keep him from finding steady work or securing a place to live for many years.

He moved 40 times in a five-year period, sleeping in attics, basements, couches and even in an acquaintance’s child’s outdoor playhouse in exchange for $1 a day.

“As I learned, alcoholism is a symptom of deeper issues. I was kind of always lost. Alcohol became my medication,” he said.

He worked throughout this tumultuous period and was always resourceful enough to find somewhere to stay, but would eventually wear out his welcome because of his drinking.

Reaching out for help

In 2005, McRae decided enough was enough. He began having suicidal thoughts and, as a last-ditch effort, sought help at VA.

He was immediately connected with services, starting with 35 days of inpatient treatment at Homes for the Brave, a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing housing and services to individuals experiencing homelessness, in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

But it was hard to stop drinking. When he left Homes for the Brave he started up again.

After a stint at Soldier On, a private nonprofit organization committed to ending Veteran homelessness, a case worker at Northampton VA connected McRae with Gateway to Independence. He stayed there for nine months, then segued into a job working in VA primary care for eight years.

It wasn’t entirely smooth sailing after that. He came back to Gateway to Independence twice more and, after his last stay in 2018, was offered a part-time job. He was soon promoted to full-time and then offered the vacant director position two years ago.

In this role he is committed to making Gateway to Independence the preeminent facility funded by VA’s Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Program. The facility was recently renovated, so all rooms are now private and the team is working toward taking a more holistic therapeutic approach.

“Everyone wants to make Gateway the best it can be. It’s exciting. I’m challenged every day,” McRae said.

Learn about VA programs 

• If you are a Veteran who is homeless or at risk for homelessness or need to connect with a Veterans justice outreach specialist, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).
• Visit the VA Homeless Programs website to learn about housing initiatives and other programs for Veterans exiting homelessness.
• Check out the Ending Veteran Homelessness podcast to learn more about what VA is doing about Veteran homelessness. 
• Learn how to get involved with housing homeless Veterans.
• Subscribe to the Homeless Programs Office newsletter to receive monthly updates about programs and supportive services for Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness.