Marquita’s Making Housing Happen

Marquita Temple is a housing specialist at FCC who’s done a lot of smiling over the last year. “My favorite part of the job is seeing families move into their new home. I love the pictures of kids in their room, on their own bed.”

Marquita has been at FCC for 13 years, as shelter monitor, case manager, helpline program assistant and office manager. Today, she leads FCC’s new rapid re-housing program that launched a year ago this month. “I’ve worked in every part of the shelter and am coming at this as someone who has seen so many families trying to find a house they can afford and stay in, not just bounce around,” she says. “I knew this was a need many clients would benefit from, and I wanted to help make it happen for current and future families.”

Marquita’s housing specialist role is two-fold: Working with families to navigate the rapid re-housing application process, find an apartment and coordinate resources and support across the FCC team—all while keeping families’ dignity front and center. And growing FCC’s network of partner landlords. “[Our] families are working hard to get back on track. Many, if they didn’t have housing help, would go to another shelter and start over, or worse, go back to their abuser because they just have nowhere else to go.” And the latter, she says, isn’t an option. “I am determined to continue growing the number of landlords willing to work with us and show that we are worth the gamble by agreeing to work with FCC’s rapid re-housing program.”

“Marquita has a million and one skills. She can do anything, and when she finds something that connects all the experience and skills together, she just rocks it,” says Operations Coordinator Allie Post. “Seeing her work with clients is like watching her do what she trained for her entire career. She takes all her experience and wraps it into one package as housing specialist.”

“Marquita is excellent at being a supportive partner to clients,” adds Christian Green, FCC Shelter and Housing Director. “She doesn’t take over their plans. She sits in the passenger seat and holds the map if the client needs guidance.”

Meet Marquita

Favorite colors: pink and black Favorite hobby: scrapbooking Other loves: time with friends, adventures with her kids Life before FCC: college student and mom Favorite rapid re-housing story: “A family that came in and had no clothes, no money, no transportation, just nothing. They got benefits, a job, childcare and an apartment. She truly had nothing and would have had to go back to her abuser after, there’s no question. You could see the fear and sadness in her eyes. It was a relief that she was able to find an apartment.”