Issa Asiedo is a Housing Specialist who works in the BronxWorks Adult Homeless Services Department.  Every year, Issa works with his colleagues to help our most vulnerable neighbors find stable and affordable housing. As a housing specialist, one of Issa's main responsibilities is to connects clients directly with the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). On a day-to-day basis, Issa visits clients, sets up interviews, finds immediate housing and builds relationships with housing providers for future placements. "Working at BronxWorks really opened my eyes to what's going on in my community; when I first started, I didn't know how homeless people survive or how people were helping the homeless population."

Issa has a BA in Business from Dowling College but started his career unsure of his path.  Issa found BronxWorks eleven years ago through a friend who recognized that Issa's dedication and determination would make him the ideal fit for a homelessness outreach case manager. Now, over a decade later, Issa couldn't imagine working in any other profession.  "The clients that I work with keep me grounded. When I'm able to see a person at their most vulnerable state with a smile on their face, it's priceless. There's no better feeling than doing what I do" Issa says.

Issa understands that working with the homeless population requires humility and patience. "Homelessness can happen to anyone... I could be in the same situation... I've seen people my same age, classmates from my high school, my neighbors and family, nobody is exempt from becoming homeless, stuff like that keeps me grounded," Issa says. His years of experience has helped Issa develop a unique rapport with the clients he sees every day. "The things I explain to (my clients) are the things I would want somebody to explain to me."