Residents purchase snacks and life necessities at the market at The Retreat. Before Alex Webster, 82, front, moved into the facility 18 years ago, he would be out on the street during the day and sleep at halfway houses. Traumatized by living in a nursing home for a few months while he was still physically independent, he said he is satisfied at the facility. “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened for me,” Webster said. Yehyun Kim / CT Mirror