From Starting Over to Settling In — Billy, Buddy, & Nadia Are Home
At 63, Billy has lived many lives—bricklayer, mechanic, restaurant worker. He came to Maine 5 years ago, helping friends repair their home before moving between rented rooms in small towns like Oxford and Lisbon. Each arrangement worked for a time, until circumstances changed. One homeowner’s son returned after a divorce; another couple had to sell due to medical issues. Again and again, Billy found himself packing up and starting over.
Through it all, his dogs, Buddy and Nadia, stayed by his side. They’ve been more than support animals—they’re his closest companions. With no stable housing option last summer, Billy checked into a pet-friendly hotel in Topsham. At nearly $200 a night, the cost drained his savings within weeks. He bought a tent, picked up a few basic supplies, and found a quiet spot by the Androscoggin River.
“I never thought I’d be the guy in the tent,” he said. “I remember lying there and asking myself, ‘How did this even happen? How did I lose everything?’”
Billy first connected with Tedford as an outreach client, coming in for appointments to complete housing applications while all shelter beds were full. In the meantime, he called the adult shelter every day—sometimes twice—until a bed opened in early November. “This was the first time I really had to ask for help,” he said. “I didn’t know if I could do it.” But once he moved into the shelter, he was connected with Mason, a Tedford case manager, who helped him see things differently.
“Mason’s just easy to talk to,” Billy said. “I started to realize asking for help didn’t mean I’d failed. It meant I was done being alone.”
Over the next 5 months, Billy and Mason worked together on housing applications and scheduling medical appointments. When housing leads fell through, it was Mason’s steady encouragement—“We’ll figure it out together”—that helped Billy remain hopeful and stay focused on what was next.
On April 1st, 2025, Billy moved into his own apartment in Brunswick. The rent is income-based and sustainable. For the first time in years, the place is his—not borrowed, not temporary. He’s rediscovering the joy of everyday things: frying up burgers in his kitchen, taking quiet trail walks with Buddy and Nadia, and settling into a home that’s truly his.
“I’m really proud of myself for getting a place of my own, even with all the loss I’ve experienced,” he said. “I can’t express how grateful I am. The people at Tedford—they’re the closest thing I have to family.”