Incredible reason why millionaire invited a homeless couple to live in his $4M mansion

It's not every day that a homeowner in the Bay Area's Piedmont neighborhood opens up the doors of their home to the needy. However, in 2019, property developer Terry McGrath did just that. He offered a homeless couple, Greg Dunston and his wife Marie McKinzie, a place to live in his $4 million mansion in California, per the San Francisco Chronicle.

McGrath had read about the couple's plight back in January 2019. Greg and Marie had a difficult life and lived on the streets for almost a decade. Both of them faced physical disabilities. Before 2019, they were hopeful of winning of two-decade battle for disability income that would have resulted in several years’ worth of back pay. However, their claim was denied and they were back to sleeping in the doorway of an Alameda County building. After reading about the couple's difficulties, McGrath was inspired to get in touch with them and offer a space in his hilltop mansion.

Otis Taylor, a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle who covers homelessness in the Bay Area, met McGrath and the couple in a cafe. McGrath, who had ample space on his property and in his heart, was immediately moved to help them. The thing that struck him was the love between Greg and Marie and how "it was able to survive in probably one of the harshest environments on earth," per ABC. 

Taylor talked about the situation and said, "There was no decision, there was no thought, there was no judgment. I was just like 'This is done'," He continued, "I didn't vet them. These are human beings and they're not serial killers. They want to get out of the weather. They want a roof over their head. They want to be warm." 

McGrath is hopeful that society will see people living on the streets as human beings before anything else. He said, "I don't think there's any other issue that is more symbolic about who we are as a society than this issue." He further added, "It's an absolute reflection of us. There is no other way to see it. Just because it's there doesn't make it right or make it acceptable."

While there were many positive responses as the couple moved into the upper-class neighborhood, there was also no shortage of negative responses. Shortly after their arrival, one neighbor who was unaware of the situation called 911 and told dispatchers, "I just pulled into the driveway and there's some strange folks hanging around the house." Someone even called the Piedmont Police and Fire Dispatch, saying, "I just wanted to notify you that this woman is sitting at Lexford and Hampton ... She's smoking a cigarette... could be drugs." But McGrath always stoop up for the couple and gave them the respect they deserved. 

After all the difficulties, the couple lived with McGrath for over a year and as of now, the homeowner has no plans of asking them to leave. He has clarified saying, "They're like family. There's no way I'm going to let them go back to the street," He added, "Most people who know me well know it's easy to start and it's hard to finish. And I'm never not going to finish."

Editor's note: This article was originally published on June 12, 2024. It has since been updated.