Rosalie's Place opens its doors for unhoused individuals ready to work

Carmela Colmerauer felt her future open up as she stepped into St. Vincent de Paul’s new 71-bed workforce rehousing center, Rosalie’s Place, which opened its doors Friday, Sept. 6. 

After months of living on the street and trying to catch a break, Carmela was eager to take full advantage of Rosalie's Place, which purposefully pairs rehousing support with the nonprofit's Workforce Opportunities Program to help individuals ready and seeking employment as well as housing.

Throughout her life, Carmela worked hard to support herself. After working in retail for more than 20 years, she decided to switch careers and accepted a job as a caretaker for a house where she also rented a room.

The situation quickly became toxic, however, and she had to leave with little notice. Carmela ended up on the street.

Not one to sit idly, she immediately started looking for work and landed a job as a clerk at gas station while still living on the street. When she wasn’t working, she visited Key Campus in downtown Phoenix to seek housing help and support with basic needs, including meals from SVdP's Phoenix Dining Room located on the campus. 

SVdP dining room staff was immediately impressed that Carmela made it clear—her biggest goal was to get back to work and get back on her feet. The fact that she currently held down a job during such hard times, impressed them even more. With her can-do attitude and desire to be a productive citizen, Carmela was the perfect referral and participant for SVdP’s Workforce Opportunities Program. 

“I asked Carmela what she wanted to get out of the Workforce Opportunities Program,” began Erinn Demario, the program's support manager and Carmela's case manager, “and she said, ‘I can do better than this. I want to do better than this.’ She took advantage of everything we had to offer.”

After learning more about Carmela's hopes, Erinn suggested Carmela enroll in a self-guided course hosted by a community partner Entryway that would give her the skills and knowledge necessary to become a leasing agent. SVdP's Workforce Opportunities Program and the partnership with Entryway made her enrollment possible. Carmela finished the program in about a week — faster than anyone had before.

The staff in the program was so impressed that when SVdP opened its new workforce housing center, Rosalie’s Place, Carmela was one of the first people the staff recommended.

At 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 6, Carmela walked through the doors to her new temporary home at Rosalie’s Place. A bed all her own greeted her, along with enough space to store a few personal belongings. It's a humble space and clearly a temporary stop on the way to a more exciting future. 

"It was truly a beautiful day. For the staff, we finally saw all our hard work pay off, and we had that shared feeling of, 'We did it!,' It was a proud moment for sure," said Lindsay Brown, manager of the Workforce Opportunities Program. "For our guests, when they moved in, it was as if they took a deep breath for the first time in a long time. One guest said, 'I feel like a real person again. I don’t feel homeless anymore.'"

Rosalie’s Place also sports a dedicated bathroom and shower area for each dorm, offers three hot meals a day and provides case management focused on workforce opportunities. It's not just about helping the residents find work, but also setting them up for stability and long-term success with necessary training and skills to thrive in their new line of work.

"Rosalie’s Place stands out because it offers more than just shelter—it’s heavily workforce-focused, helping residents on their journey to employment and permanent housing," said Lindsay. "What makes Rosalie’s Place even more unique is the shared experience among the residents. They all have a similar goal—to rebuild their lives through stable employment and housing. I think this will foster a natural sense of fellowship. This sense of community is important, and I'm excited to witness our residents support and encourage each other along the way."

“Moving in here feels great,” said Carmela, who is no longer working at the gas station and is focused on finding a job that will fully support her. “I'm moving up. I’m one step closer to having my own place and working towards getting a job.”

Now that she has a safe place to lay her head every night, plus the skills given to her by the leasing agent training program, Carmela has been interviewing for leasing agent positions in the Valley.

“Carmela might be moving out sooner than we thought,” Erinn said.

“My future feels brighter, much brighter,” Carmela said. “Yeah, I fell down, but I picked myself up. I'm keeping going, showing them that I can do this. That's what matters.”