One perception of homeless individuals might be that they’re alone, dealing with substance abuse or mental illness. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes a homeless person has family nearby, and just a strained relationship. We reported on a Fresno County program that helps house parents and children, usually after they’ve been separated by the courts. This week, we meet one parent who used that emergency housing. Her name is Christina Montalvo, and she spent some time on the streets alone, while her kids lived with family. Today, she shares an apartment in southeast Fresno with her boyfriend, their baby daughter, and her son. “At first I was like, oh my God, this is such a bad area,” Montalvo says of when they first moved. “But now, we’re here, it’s great. Like, I feel really comfortable. Everyone looks out for each other and it’s nothing like where I was before and just always watching out and watching your back. It’s not like that here.” They’ve lived there for nearly a year, a
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