Taking the Lead in Housing the Homeless
I n our United States community service continues to be needed from coast to coast and border to border. Yet despite our widespread and rather obvious needs, our communities often lack the very services that would help us all most directly. But when, where and how do we begin to address our national problems? • For Pleasant Behavioral Health Systems and Pleasant Housing Inc. Owner/Operator Tia Boyd, the “when” was as a fresh- faced teenager who witnessed an obvious need • The “where” was her home community of Baltimore • The “how” was through volunteering to feed the houseless and those most in need. This passion for service by the young Ms. Boyd lead directly to her professional work at the New Vision House of Hope where she was mentored by Founder and President, Charles Culver Sr., and went on to establish her career serving her community, learning and earning her “service stripes” through NVHH’s commitment to- • Traditional Housing for the houseless
After years of professional education and experience, the then Mrs. Boyd made the decision to branch out on her own and established both PBHS and its housing arm, PH Inc., in 2009. It was her goal to extend the good work she knew was needed and continue to serve her community in an even wider range. Together with her husband and partner, Kameeka Boyd (himself a veteran), the duo started with just one house and six residents in need. It is with some small amount of earned pride that Mrs. Boyd recently shared that PH Inc. now maintains six houses serving over 70 client/residents at any given time. Given their professional and service success one may be forgiven for thinking that it may be time to rest on her laurels and enjoy the fruits or her labor. But PH Inc. has already begun plans to continue to expand and serve additional communities in need. Yet when asked about her greatest professional accomplishment to date, Mrs. Boyd shared- “When I see our resident family going from nothing they want to be to something they want to be, taking care of their own home and truly enjoying their clean time—often for the first time in their lives—it lets me know that I’m on the right path.”
And for all of our communities, this path is one that’s desperately needed. The newest PH Inc. path includes plans to expand and serve the Orlando, Florida community even as they continue their work in the greater Baltimore area. Of course due to the both economic and social crash caused by the pandemic, this necessity for low-cost housing is more critical than ever before. With Mrs. Boyd and her husband taking the lead, we can look forward with hope instead of fear, and see the light of a bright future rather than the darkness of our
past. Because as they truly believe- Everyone deserves a place to call home!
• Substance Abuse IOP • Mental Health Services • Veteran Support
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