Reno was the first to arrive at rental open houses. He’d have first and last months’ rent and all the information required. It wasn’t enough.  

“People would turn me down as soon as they saw me. Being a young Black man trying to find housing was very difficult. I felt very defeated,” he said.  

His time at Eva’s changed everything, including the way he responded to systemic racism.  

“The life skills I learned, and the housing support I received at Eva’s left an imprint. It’s stuff I still use to this day: learning how to get and stay out of debt and save money, learning my rights as a tenant… I didn’t know any of these things,” he said.  

Reno learned life skills and received as many licences as he could at Eva’s, including one in security. Staff helped him overcome housing barriers.  

Today, he lives independently and works full-time. He’s pursuing his passions: music, acting, and modelling. 

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