Adriana Scurto has come full circle. From her first social work internship five years ago to now managing multiple properties, Scurto has found her home at Heartland Housing. Originally from Los Angeles, Scurto’s longtime interest in housing equity makes her an integral part of our housing team. Scurto’s work seeks to build a stable and supportive environment for all of her residents to thrive.
How did you get into this work?
Growing up in the Los Angeles area, homelessness has always been a pretty visible issue to me. I remember the anger and shame I would feel going Downtown for concerts or hockey games and seeing all the tents on Skid Row. Once I understood that the stark disparities in wealth and resources that I witnessed were products of unjust systems, I knew I wanted to work to change those systems.
Spending my first year in Chicago organizing tenants in SRO (single room occupancy) buildings in Uptown and then the following year advocating for more just homeless policies with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, it became clear that affordable housing is a crucial piece in the fight to end poverty and what I wanted to focus my energy on.
Why is this work important to the community and those we serve?
Providing supportive services in affordable housing is so important because when people are stable in their housing, they’re able to thrive as individuals and the community also benefits from their success.
Some of the work I get to do in my position is support resident engagement with one another and with their broader communities. I think that building community is some of the most important work there is, and I feel privileged to be able to do it alongside our residents.
Was there a moment where you knew you were in the right job?
This might sound corny, but I felt that way after my first interview with my boss. Immediately, I could tell that our values aligned and that I would be able to learn so much from her and all of the work she’s accomplished in this field. And it felt quite serendipitous to learn that my first social work internship over 5 years ago was in a program that Lisa had created! This work can be quite difficult, so having a supervisor who I can count on for support and guidance has been invaluable.
What is your favorite part of your job?
There’s something that feels really special about working where people live and bearing witness to their day to day lives- the good parts and the hard parts. I think my favorite part would have to be listening to residents in our senior building reminisce and give incredible history lessons. Our residents have lived such interesting lives and I’m so grateful to work for an organization that has provided a space where they can age with dignity.
How can others get involved in your work?
Supportive services in affordable housing are difficult to fund, so volunteers who can commit to at least one year of service at one of our two buildings on the north side are very helpful to our work.
Look for ways to advocate for affordable housing in your own neighborhood. Our residents make great neighbors, and we can all benefit from living in more vibrant and diverse communities.
