ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Millionaire invites homeless couple to live in his $4 million mansion for incredible reason

"There was no thought, there was no judgment. I was just like 'this is done'"
UPDATED AUG 6, 2024
Representative cover image | Unsplash | Photo by Matt Collamer
Representative cover image | Unsplash | Photo by Matt Collamer

A homeless couple's lives changed when a millionaire from California welcomed them to his $4 million mansion. Back in 2019, Greg Dunston and Marie Mckinzie, who lived on Oakland’s streets for almost 10 years, were invited to live in one of the Bay Area’s most exclusive neighborhoods in Piedmont. The homeowner, Terrence McGrath, opened his doors in a mostly white, rich neighborhood, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. While it caused some inconveniences, the couple amazingly adjusted to the life of the rich. 



 

McGrath is a divorced real estate developer and an empty nester. He told the SF Chronicle that he first read about the couple in the news column of the publication. He went to meet them at a cafe when they were camping in a "doorway" at the Alameda County Probation Office. 

McGrath told ABC News that Dunston, who is blind in one eye, and Mckinzie, who has a bone disease weren't bitter at all despite their living conditions and disabilities.

The real estate developer decided to help them. He had a mansion in the hilltop town of Piedmont in the East Bay.

"There was no thought, there was no judgment. I was just like 'this is done,'" McGrath recalled.



 

However, the couple wasn't sure if moving to a rich neighborhood like Piedmont was a good idea. But a friend of the couple, John Reimann, who sometimes helped them check in hotel rooms during harsh weather, nudged them to make the move. Reimann shared that he had asked McGrath why he was letting strangers off the street live with him.

Representative Image | Unsplash | Photo by Jon Tyson
Representative Image | Unsplash | Photo by Jon Tyson

McGrath told him that it helped him come close to his roots and take responsibility for the injustices around him. It was Reimann who first drove Mckinzie and Dunston to McGrath’s house for a tour. 

The UC Berkeley graduate and the founder of McGrath Properties offered the couple his in-law unit of the mansion, where his children grew up and other relatives had previously lived. The unit had a king-size bed, a bathroom, a stove, and a mini fridge. 

When the couple moved in, as a preventative measure, the homeowner reached out to Piedmont Chief of police, Jeremy Bowers, informing them of the development. While McGrath was aware that his efforts to fight homelessness were not a universal solution, he told ABC that he hoped that he would inspire others to not look away from the issue.



 

As McGrath had suspected, Dunston and Mckinzie drew attention from the neighbors for all the wrong reasons. As they were seen in and around the property, neighbors often called 911 to report them, assuming they didn't live there. 

However, Bowers had already counseled his officers on how to respond to such calls, since he received the email from McGrath. “When people have called, we’ve not even responded. We’ve called them and said, ‘Oh no, those are the people that live in the house. (The homeowner’s) trying to help them,'" Bowers told the SF Chronicle.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
Cuban had seen enough of Mr. Wonderful's greedy tactics, and he decided to take a stand.
11 hours ago
Fans were also left as confused as the contestant after seeing the puzzle.
11 hours ago
The iconic "Jeopardy!" champion has been hosting the show for many years now.
1 day ago
The host remembered the times he was bullied as a young kid after hearing the chant.
1 day ago
The greeting caught Steve Harvey by surprise, and he took several seconds to regain his composure.
1 day ago
The nascent nature of the company prevented the sharks from investing in it.
3 days ago
Harvey seemed quite annoyed after the guest revealed her surprise and rightfully so.
4 days ago
Both Rick and his son Corey had a lot of luaghs while talking about this item for obvious reasons.
4 days ago
She was just happe to be with Drew Carey on stage, and perhaps did not expect such a big win.
4 days ago
The segment started with a couple of people entering the stage wearing cakes over their heads.
4 days ago
The valuation he asked for was as crazy as the outfit he wore, and the sharks said no.
4 days ago
The contestant's answer had no lewd intention but Steve Harvey made sure it did.
5 days ago
Fans of the gameshow are known to be vocal about their needs and this was just an example of that.
5 days ago
The guest stood firm at what he wanted and Harrison was forced to raise his low-ball offer.
5 days ago
The contestant was confident in his abilities and he steered his team to an impressive win.
5 days ago
The sharks could not believe what they had just witnessed but it sure was entertaining.
6 days ago
The guest said that she wanted $15,000 but had to settle for just a couple grand.
6 days ago
Fans of the show were shocked she was not able to get it right after coming so close.
6 days ago
Corcoran was confident that the entrepreneur would take her deal but that was not the case.
7 days ago
The host's expressions upon seeing the answers on the board were absolutely priceless.
7 days ago