In 2000, Robert Pamphille’s position as a manager in the letter of credit department at J.P. Morgan Chase was relocated to Florida, forcing him to accept a severance package and unofficially retire. Though he was excited about having some free time, he quickly realized that his retirement wouldn’t go as he’d hoped.
“After that, I just didn’t have a job. Given my age, I was discouraged because I couldn’t get back into what I used to do. I was doing nothing and there was no money coming in,” Pamphille tells CNBC Make It.
In 2017, after over a decade of working odd jobs, Pamphille found himself homeless and living in a shelter with his wife and then 25-year-old son.
“Each shelter has its own experience, and even though I had to endure all kinds of unpleasant things, it balances out because dealing in the streets with those elements is not a good thing,” he says.
“When you’re in a shelter, you’re always walking on eggshells, but at the same time, you have to be grateful that you have a bed to sleep on.”
Adding to the difficulties the family had navigating the shelter system was that Pamphille’s wife is wheelchair-bound, and his son is dealing with mental health issues.
Pamphille and his family lived in shelters for seven years before they were matched for a two bedroom apartment.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Living in the shelters meant that Pamphille and his family had to abide by specific rules. For example, shelter residents are not allowed to cook in their rooms and have to comply with a curfew.
“Other than that, life was actually close to normal, however normal that is, but you have to make yourself happy,” he says. “You have to really find something to do and keep your mind occupied, so that’s basically what I used to do.”
Pamphille and his family moved from shelter to shelter for years until they landed at one with a director who would help change their lives for the better.
In addition to New York City’s housing lottery program, which helps get residents into affordable housing like rent-stabilized apartments, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the Department of Homeless Services collaborate closely to help individuals in shelters find a more permanent solution and get placed in units that best suit their needs.
The Greenpoint Landing in Brooklyn is a waterfront building in New York City.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
At the very least Pamphille, his wife and his son needed a two-bedroom apartment. The shelter’s director connected the family with Keith Martin, a clinical coordinator at Breaking Ground, and they were eventually matched with a unit at Greenpoint Landing.
The building sits on a waterfront in the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn. From studios to three-bedroom units, market-rate rents in the building range from $3,557 to $11,178. Amenities include a fully equipped gym, yoga studio and coworking spaces.
In August 2024, Pamphille signed a one-year lease for a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a rent of $2,711.24, according to documents reviewed by CNBC Make It.
“I was excited because after a while you get tired because life in the shelter is two-fold. You’re glad that you have a bed but the things you have to endure aren’t easy,” Pamphille says.
“You have to walk on eggshells but we survived.”
It was then that the family finally got to meet Martin, the person they credit with helping them secure permanent housing.
“It was almost immediately apparent how special the family was,” Martin tells CNBC Make It.
“What really stuck out was just how many years they spent in the shelter system moving from shelter to shelter. It’s not often that you see a nuclear family stick together as long as they have. For them to navigate that situation for as long as they did and come out of it with such a positive and vibrant outlook on what lies ahead and just really leaning into their forever home really stood out.”
Pamphille receives a subsidy from the City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement, a rental assistance program in New York City and the remaining rent, 30% of their total income, is covered by the family.
At Greenpoint Landing in Brooklyn, apartment sizes range from studios to three bedrooms and rents go from $3,557 to $11,178.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Pamphille and his family were finally able to move into their apartment in November 2024.
The family’s apartment was partially furnished by Breaking Ground with essentials like beds, nightstands, lamps, a kitchen table, and a couch.
The first night Pamphille and his family slept in the apartment, he admits he woke up confused and felt like he was still back in the shelter.
“I really had to pinch myself and say, ‘Oh, I’m here and I’m not back in the shelter,’ and it was something that was amazing to me. I felt really happy when I realized I was not back in the shelter anymore,” he says.
Pamphille and his family have no plans on moving out of the apartment.
Molly Stromoski for NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Now, Pamphille’s day-to-day looks a little different and always includes making breakfast, he says.
“Life has been pretty good. Now I’m contemplating taking a vacation. I couldn’t do that before because I wasn’t settled,” he says. “But now I feel settled, so I’m thinking about taking a vacation and going to Florida to visit my sisters.”
Pamphille and his family have no plans to ever leave the apartment and recently signed a new one-year lease.
“I don’t know how long I’ll live, but for right now, I’m here until the good lord calls me home, he says. I have no intention of moving anywhere, so this is my home.”
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