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Transitional Housing Services for Victims of Domestic …

Transitional Housing Servicesfor Victims of Domestic ViolenceA Report from the Housing Committee of theNational Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic ViolenceDate: November 2005 Primary Authors: Amy Correia and Anna MelbinHousing Committee Members: Nancy Bernstine, Anita Carpenter, Judy Chaet, Amy Correia,Robin Hammeal-Urban, Anna Melbin, Rebecca Plaut, Allison Randall, Lynn Rosenthal andErica SmockAcknowledgements:This document was developed over a period of three years through the hard work of the HousingCommittee and the featured you to all the Transitional Housing programs that participated in the data collection andediting of this report, and for the time program staff dedicated to the interview you to Nancy Bernstine, Judy Chaet, and Rebecca Plaut for assisting with conducting andwriting up the interviews, and to Ann Beauvais for her assistance with analyzing the special thanks to Nancy Bernstine, Executive Director of the AIDS Housing Coalition, whowas Chair of the Housing Committee when we began this project and who provided us with on-going guidance and special thanks to the current Chair of the Housing Committee, Allison Randall from theNational Network to End Domestic Violence.

Jul 25, 2002 · This report may be reproduced and distributed with proper acknowledgment. Housing Committee Transitional housing paper Page 1 Table of Contents ... North Carolina 7) Middleway House, Inc. The Rise, Indiana 8) Riley Center, California ... The purpose of this paper is to begin to close that information gap. As advocates and public policy advisors ...

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Transcription of Transitional Housing Services for Victims of Domestic …

1 Transitional Housing Servicesfor Victims of Domestic ViolenceA Report from the Housing Committee of theNational Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic ViolenceDate: November 2005 Primary Authors: Amy Correia and Anna MelbinHousing Committee Members: Nancy Bernstine, Anita Carpenter, Judy Chaet, Amy Correia,Robin Hammeal-Urban, Anna Melbin, Rebecca Plaut, Allison Randall, Lynn Rosenthal andErica SmockAcknowledgements:This document was developed over a period of three years through the hard work of the HousingCommittee and the featured you to all the Transitional Housing programs that participated in the data collection andediting of this report, and for the time program staff dedicated to the interview you to Nancy Bernstine, Judy Chaet, and Rebecca Plaut for assisting with conducting andwriting up the interviews, and to Ann Beauvais for her assistance with analyzing the special thanks to Nancy Bernstine, Executive Director of the AIDS Housing Coalition, whowas Chair of the Housing Committee when we began this project and who provided us with on-going guidance and special thanks to the current Chair of the Housing Committee, Allison Randall from theNational Network to End Domestic Violence.

2 For her immeasurable energy and report may be reproduced and distributed with proper CommitteeTransitional Housing paperPage 1 Table of ContentsIntroductionPage 2 What is Transitional Housing ? Page 3 Common CharacteristicsPage 41) Mission/Philosophy2) Program Operation3) Rent Payment and Lease Agreements4) Range of Services5) Leadership Opportunities6) Community Partners7) Funding8) EvaluationKey Considerations for New and Emerging ProgramsPage 18 Program ExamplesPage 231) Coburn Place Safe Haven, Indiana2) Grace Smith House Brookhaven Program, New York3) Center Against Spouse Abuse Transitional Housing , Florida4) Gulf Coast Women s Center for Non-violence Transitional Housing , Mississippi5) Destiny Village, Texas6) Interlace, north Carolina7) Middleway House, Inc. The Rise, Indiana8) Riley Center, California9) Hickman House, Washington10) Housing YWCA Transitional Housing , Utah11) Shelter, Inc.

3 Transitional Housing , Michigan12) Center for Women in Transition Transitional Housing , MichiganHousing CommitteeTransitional Housing paperPage 2 INTRODUCTIONThe need for safe, affordable Housing for Victims of Domestic violence is well access to Housing options, women fleeing from abusive relationships are often forced tolive in substandard conditions or return to their batterers. While many battered women need onlyshort-term, emergency shelter, others face numerous barriers to achieving independence freefrom the abuse and require long-term Housing assistance and a variety of support the Housing needs of battered women, many Domestic violence service providersnow offer longer-term, Transitional Housing to the women and children they serve. While noofficial count exists, every state has at least one Transitional Housing program specifically forvictims of Domestic violence.

4 In addition, designated federal funding for such programs hasemerged, and new programs are being established the awareness of the need for Transitional Housing for battered women, and the resultingincrease in the number of such programs, information about what exists, and what constitutes aneffective program, is lacking. New and emerging programs have little, if any, literature to drawupon when creating policies, programs and Services . The purpose of this paper is to begin toclose that information advocates and public policy advisors, the authors were interested to know what transitionalhousing programs for battered women exist in the United States, and what commonalities andunique attributes are present among these programs. The authors conducted phone surveys withtwelve organizations across the country, all providing Transitional Housing Services specifically tobattered women.

5 The surveys included questions on such topics as: the history of the program; Services provided; relationships with other local organizations; sources of funding; and lessonslearned (see Program Examples).The results of those surveys, and a directory of the Transitional Housing programs surveyed areprovided here. Due to the lack of standardized outcomes and measures of effectiveness fortransitional Housing programs for battered women, this paper does not outline best , the views expressed by specific programs are not necessarily endorsed by the authors orrecommended as models for program policies and procedures. The hope is that emerging andexisting Transitional Housing programs find this information useful when designing or revisingtheir own procedures and programs, and ultimately, battered women participating in transitionalhousing receive the Services and support they need and want.

6 1 See: Correia, A. & Rubin, J (2001) Housing and Battered Women. Harrisburg, PA: National Resource Center onDomestic Violence. Bassuk, E., et al. (1996) The characteristics and needs of sheltered homeless and low-income housed mothers. The Journal of the American Medical Association, 276 (8), 640-646. Conferenceof Mayors (2003) A Status Report on Hunger and Homelessness in America s Cities: A 25-City CommitteeTransitional Housing paperPage 3 WHAT IS Transitional Housing ?2 Transitional Housing , sometimes called second stage Housing , is a residency program thatincludes support Services . Usually provided after crisis or homeless shelter, Transitional housingis designed as a bridge to self-sufficiency and permanent Housing . Residents usually remainfrom six months to two years, and are typically required to establish goals to work towardseconomic along a continuum of Services , Transitional Housing is placed between emergency andpermanent Housing .

7 However, the boundaries distinguishing the steps on the continuum aresometimes blurred. For instance, emergency shelter is offered on a short-term basis (typicallythree months or less), aimed towards assisting residents with Housing searches and accessingreferrals to other social Services . Often however, an emergency shelter may allow residents toextend their stays when alternate Housing cannot be secured. Similarly, residents in permanenthousing - which allows for an indefinite stay and usually does not require participating in socialservices even if made available to residents - may choose to relocate regularly rather than remainin one residence indefinitely. Among Transitional Housing programs, residents are oftenallowed to stay from eighteen months to two years, though some have much shorter of Transitional Housing for battered women vary but generally these programs: Offer Housing at a single location or development, though some are scattered site units.

8 Provide a wide range of support Services such as childcare, child development programs,financial assistance, clinical therapy, and counseling in life planning and job development. Are owned and operated by Domestic violence service providers, however some representpartnerships between developers who construct and own the units and a service provider thatoperates the programming for clients. 2 Adapted from More Than Shelter: A Manual on Transitional Housing , Women s Institute for Housing andEconomic Development (1990?) Housing CommitteeTransitional Housing paperPage 4 COMMON CHARACTERISTICSThe interviews conducted with twelve Transitional Housing programs serving battered womenreveal a number of common themes. This section provides a descriptive overview of thecharacteristics that were present and important to all the programs interviewed, as determined bythe VAWA Housing Mission & PhilosophyThe programs profiled in this paper vary greatly with regard to eligibility requirements,operations and procedures, and Services provided.

9 Despite these differences, all of the programsare guided by an underlying philosophy and offer a specific response to the need of survivors ofdomestic violence to access and maintain safe and affordable , the philosophy guiding these programs is one of empowerment for women andchildren. Staff from all twelve programs expressed their program s focus on empoweringwomen: to live self-sufficient safer lives; to make informed decisions; to undergo personalgrowth; and to participate in both self-help and peer support for other battered women and among the programs missions are slightly more pronounced, though all are guidedby providing Services to meet a variety of short and long-term needs. A number of programs setout to end or eradicate Domestic violence, by providing supportive Services to Victims andeducation to the general community. Other programs focus on serving women and children whoare homeless due to Domestic violence, and assisting them in finding permanent Housing .

10 A fewprograms are specifically geared towards helping women leave their abusers, by providinghousing and opportunities for economic Characteristics_ Mission & Philosophy_ Program Operation_ Rent Payment & LeaseAgreements_ Range of Services_ Leadership Opportunities_ Community Partners_ Funding_ EvaluationHousing CommitteeTransitional Housing paperPage 5 More specifically, staff expressed certain tenets their programs try to incorporate into programpolicies and service provision, including: Battered women s experiences should inform and shape the Services program participants involved at all levels of program planning, developmentand implementation is one way to achieve this; Long-term support is critical to maintaining a safer life. Emergency shelters provideimmediate assistance but a sustainable network of support and resources must bedeveloped to transition to a life safe from abuse, and this takes time; Economic independence is essential for long-term stability.


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