Services For Homeless Families Transitional Housing
For 20 years, LCSA has been stabilizing homeless families through our transitional housing program. By providing safe, affordable housing and comprehensive case management, families are given the opportunity to attain self-sufficiency and break the crisis homelessness causes. The ultimate goal of our case-management activities is to help families change patterns of behavior and transition into permanent housing.
Often a typical family's initial goal is to stabilize their economic situation. Goals are set to address paying of debt, establishing credit and managing checking & savings accounts (each family must contribute a minimum of 10% of all income regularly to a savings account). By keeping rent affordable (no more than 30% of a family's adjusted gross income for program fees and utilities); case managers are able to hold each family financially accountable and focus their efforts on eliminating barriers to self-sufficiency that often include finding childcare, improving parenting skills or securing gainful employment.
Stability in homeless families occurs gradually and commonly requires case plans focused around improving a parent's employment situation and their children's schooling. Case managers help our families' access job resources and conduct individual needs assessments for every child in our program.
The typical family is a single mother with three children. Most often, she has poor credit which makes finding an apartment or car at a reasonable rate difficult. 70% have less than a high school diploma, making it difficult to upgrade employment. Most are faced with many barriers and seemingly few options.
By the completion of our program, families have secured self-sufficiency and are capable of moving into permanent, rental housing. They have demonstrated to the case managers they have the skills, determination and overall ability to overcome the obstacles that led to their homelessness.
If you are in need of our transitional housing program's services, please fax the complete application to LCSA. The application download can be found HERE. An informational flyer can be downloaded HERE.
During FY 2008-2009, a total of 67 homeless families (300 adults & children) participated in the program. Of the 32 families who completed our program during the year, 84% moved into permanent housing.
LCSA family
Receiving gifts at Christmas
LCSA Family
Enjoying her back-to-school supplies
Case Worker Kim with participant
Modeling their back-to-school supplies
LCSA kids off to Camp Swift
Checking out the LCSA clothing closet
Enjoying their Easter baskets
Case Worker Anna getting the Easter baskets ready
All smiles on Easter
Participating in LCSA kids activities
LCSA family
"To serve the general welfare of our community and to advocate for health and human services that meet the needs of all members of the community, especially the most vulnerable and dependent."
