‘It's been a long journey': Man advocates for others after his own struggle with homelessness

He calls his own situation a “double-whammy.” Warren Magee is disabled and survived three years of homelessness.

His journey brought him to the Barbara McGinnis House.  That’s part of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) where he was able to receive ongoing medical care until he could move into a place of his own. 

"It's been a long journey. I was born with cerebral palsy. One pound, three ounces. I wasn’t even supposed to live past six months," Magee said.  "My grandmother used to tell me when I was little: ‘You no cripple boy.  You just one of us.’"

But in the summer of 1998, Magee went over the bars of his mountain bike, breaking his nose and his neck.

It wasn't until years later, in 2011, that he became unhoused when he separated from his spouse.

"From 2011 all the way up to 2014. I was in my late 40s. With the stress of being homeless, living in the shelter,  I ended up suffering a mild stroke.  Couldn't do a lot of stuff on my own.  I slept in buildings, cars.  Sleeping on the Boston Common, subzero temperatures. That's scary. The T stations, I've done it all," he said.

He said it was the BHCHP program, and the love of his daughter, that kept him going and finally helped him get back on his feet.

“They literally took me under their wing and nursed me back to health. They came to me with an offer to move into my own unit."

With a big heart and a big personality, Magee has devoted much of his life to advocating for others in similar situations. He said many times after people are placed in housing, they're not sure what they should do next.

"We came out with a book we presented to every patient. How to get the resources you need when you hit the panic button when you first move into your new place.”

Magee also chairs the Consumer Advisory Board, made up of people who are experiencing or have experienced homelessness.  They work with doctors to make Patient Satisfaction Surveys more relatable.  The board even worked to get dental care on-site.  And now McGee serves on the National Consumer Advisory Board for the Homeless Council.

Dr. Denise de Las Nueces is chief medical officer and interim CEO at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless program.

“The mission is to ensure unconditionally equitable access to the highest quality care for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in our community," she explained.

“This patient population is special, and what really keeps me here is the ability to witness on a daily basis the resilience of the human spirit and that desire to overcome obstacles. As Warren's case really demonstrates beautifully.”

McGee takes nothing for granted. 

“A lot of people look at me now, They're like, no way, you could have survived that. I'm sitting here in front of you, 54 years of age, 23-year-old daughter who's taken online courses to do what her daddy does. Advocacy work. You don't get no better than this.”

Learn more about the program

Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program | Making an Impact (bhchp.org)