Lauren Straub gingerly walked two men in suits through the rows of twin beds at a Little Rock homeless shelter Tuesday afternoon.
The dozens of beds at Our House were immaculately made, except one near the middle of the room where a woman slept.
Straub, 29, spoke softly. But her smile and the movement of her arms made her excitement clear to U.S. Rep. French Hill and Dr. Ben Carson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Until recently, Straub never would've imagined an afternoon with the undivided attention of a U.S. congressman and sitting Cabinet secretary. Back in December, she was in a drug-abuse treatment center, accompanied by her 2-year-old daughter.
"This place has given me so much," Straub said of Our House. "I love to advocate for it."
Carson visited Little Rock on Tuesday to tour several of Pulaski County's public housing towers and programs for the homeless or near-homeless. Seeing the success of Our House, Carson said, "recharged his batteries."
Last year, President Donald Trump appointed the surgeon to lead the federal agency that administers the country's public housing programs, providing homeless assistance, enforcing fair housing practices, and providing mortgage and loan insurance.
The secretary's trip to the Natural State came a week after he unveiled a package of proposals to Congress. A group of protesters opposed to the policy changes followed Carson around Little Rock.
The proposals, if approved, would increase the monthly rent payments for many people living in public housing from 30 percent of their incomes to 35 percent, and it would triple the minimum rent for some of the poorest Americans in public housing from $50 a month to $150 a month, affecting about 15 percent of people who receive housing assistance.
Nationwide, 4.7 million households receive rental assistance. In Arkansas, about 27,000 people live in 14,000 public housing units.
The proposals also would require tenants' incomes to be verified every three years rather than every 12 months. Carson said Tuesday that the provision would "empower" people to increase their incomes without the fear of losing housing benefits.
Carson said the changes will simplify public housing programs and make them more sustainable. He noted that the elderly or disabled, which make up more than half of those households now receiving rental assistance, would be exempt from any rent increases for six years.
"We're looking at ways to sustain the program," he said. "The program right now is unsustainable."
Some advocates have been critical of the proposals, saying they would adversely affect the lowest-wage earners, particularly single parents.
Protesters lined the fence outside Our House as Carson and Hill toured the 7-acre campus. They chanted, among other phrases, "Fight, fight, fight, fight, housing is a human right." One sign referred to a recently scrutinized $31,000 dining set that was purchased for Carson's Washington, D.C., office.
Asked about Carson's proposals, Hill said the House and Senate would review them to ensure they're structured appropriately and offer tenants flexibility.
"That flexibility is important. I hear that from residents," Hill said. "Don't make it a cliff. Make it where I can maintain a minimum relationship and move up slowly. Don't toss me out of a federal assistance program just because I crossed a line."
Carson praised Our House for combining public and private funding to provide shelter for about 120 men, women and children. The shelter, which also offers job training and child care for homeless and near-homeless people, receives about 25 percent of its annual funding from federal and local governments. The rest comes mostly from private donations.
Straub, who lives at Our House with her daughter, Rylee, grew up in Harrison. She started college in Mountain Home, but it wasn't long before a losing battle with methamphetamines got her locked in prison after multiple felony convictions.
She left prison sober in 2012, but an abusive relationship eventually sparked a relapse.
Determined to pull herself and Rylee out of that lifestyle, she moved to Little Rock for substance-abuse treatment and graduated from the program in January.
With treatment complete, she and Rylee again found themselves homeless, but Our House, which turns away scores of people each month, had room for them.
The structure Our House offered Straub has made all the difference. "They help you when you won't help yourself," she said.
Our House, founded in 1987, allows people to live there for up to two years to take advantage of job training and other benefits.
A white board in the room where Hill and Carson met with reporters Tuesday revealed the day's scheduled events:
10 a.m. Job Skills: LinkedIn.
2 p.m. Open Health Assessments.
6 p.m. Financial Coaching.
Hill and Carson smiled as Straub told them about Rylee -- a bossy 2-year-old who already talks and learns at an advanced level.
"Good stuff, good stuff," Carson said.
Straub is applying for financial aid this week to start attending Pulaski Technical College to study social work. She wants a career in a place like Our House.
As part of the shelter's job-training program, Straub works at Our House in an administrative role. She's the first face people see when they walk into the main lobby.
On Tuesday, she helped a young woman and several of her children fill out intake paperwork. The shelter had eight beds available Tuesday morning; all filled quickly.
As she explained Our House's role in her and Rylee's life, Straub urged Carson to support the development of similar shelters across the nation.
"This is the kind of thing we should be supporting," Carson said.
Straub had a moment to reflect after the dignitaries left. She looked across the parking lot at the children's development center where Rylee was.
The time spent with Hill and Carson had been an affirmation that she's exactly where she's supposed to be.
"I believe it's God telling me I'm heading in the right direction," she said. "That's exactly what today was for me."
Information for this article was contributed by Ginny Monk of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and Rachel Herzog of Arkansas Online.
A Section on 05/02/2018