The Imagine LA SSFH&M program tries to catch families before they have spiraled too far down and give them a long-term lift up.  Imagine LA works with Agencies providing transitional housing (Transitional Housing Partners) to indentify appropriate families before they have to move to the next temporary place.  They find us families with working parents that ultimately have the ability to earn enough to pay rent but given their current lack of funds, credit and eviction history, find themselves in a no-win situation.

In partnership with a Faith Community, the Imagine LA SSFH&M Program gets the family into an apartment they can afford long-term with mentoring (for every member of the family). The Faith Community helps the family find an affordable apartment and if necessary provides funds for the rental deposits.  The Faith Community also moves the family in and provides donated furniture and other necessities to insure that the family can focus on getting their lives back together and feeling a sense of home (as opposed to finding and paying for beds, a couch, towels etc.). 

Each Family has a two year Plan & Budget that guides the Faith Communities efforts.  It identifies volunteer appropriate activities that teach basic life skills, provide mentoring and enrichment activities, provides access to resources that families would not otherwise have.  For example, volunteers help with weekly meal planning, shopping and preparation which are beneficial to the family from a nutritional perspective, a budgeting perspective and a family relationship building perspective.  Each member of the family is provided a mentor that helps them achieve their goals, potential (like getting into college or getting a better job) and have some fun - like learning to swim!  Many families do not have cars and therefore volunteers can help with transportation as well.

Imagine LA families work diligently with their budgeting mentors (every other week) on their budget; both tracking and accounting for all expenses and income.     

In the world of family homelessness today, besides employment, the three largest barriers to achieving lasting independence are the initial cost of obtaining housing, actually securing housing (especially with a record of an eviction or bad credit), and acquiring and maintaining the basic skills and discipline of a self-sufficient life.  The Imagine LA SSFH&M model addresses these barriers and gives Faith Communities an opportunity to participate in charity that begets real change, not just momentary relief.