HACAP Transitional Housing Making a Difference in People’s Lives
Within the past 18 months, the HACAP Transitional Housing Program (TH) has been making some changes; And we’ve seen a difference!
From 2010 to 2011:
- Adults with employment income upon exiting the program nearly doubled and reached 60% (HUD benchmark is 20%).
- Households exiting into permanent housing rose almost 10%, to 75% (HUD benchmark is 65%).
- Families participating in Skill Development Training activities increased from 69% to 92%.
- Attendance in family-centered planning meetings rose from 54% to 89%.
Why the
improvements? TH staff worked to
redesign the program to try to optimize positive outcomes. It all starts with the interview process; a team of HACAP staff conduct
group interviews with prospective participants. Homeless families’ readiness to
make a transition from whatever conditions that lead them into homelessness into a situation readying them for permanent housing are gauged by the team.
Those that are
ready to transition find themselves at the top of the waiting list and are placed whenever there is a vacancy. Family Support Workers (FSW) keep in
constant touch with families as we attempt to get them into units. As they are placed,
family goal plans are agreed to, program contracts are signed and FSW’s and families work to implement
mutually agreed upon goals.
From the start,
expectations are made clear to families: we’re here to help, but your participation is expected. Progress is regularly measured and when a family has a setback, goals are adjusted, but everyone is expected to be working towards
self-sufficiency.
Families are linked with resources in the community and work to address any of the myriad issues that impinge upon their ability to
secure permanent housing. Fines and bills get paid. Credit is repaired. Skills necessary to become self-sufficient are identified and worked on.
Jobs,
school,
childcare,
medical issues are addressed. Together, the FSW and family work towards
achieving the goals identified on the family goal plans.
One part of the initiative seeks to
identify resources in the community to purchase items the family may not have to make their house a home. This allows successful program participants to keep furniture, kitchenware and beds that they’ll need to
set up their permanent residence.
At Inn Circle, a 44 unit complex in Cedar Rapids, FSW’s
work hours have been
flexed to make them more available to families on
weekends and evenings. A
computer lab with internet access is available for parents and children to do research for
school or a
job search.
Greater accountability, trust and, communications are designed to work together to help
families succeed. And we’ve seen a difference!