Our Program

Supportive Sustainable Family Housing Program

2008-06-25T19:53:53Z

Imagine LA's SSFH Program is a two-year program that engages faith communities and existing service providers and other stakeholders to address and eliminate family homelessness one family at a time. It is a comprehensive program of rapid re-housing, mentorship, social services and professional case management services that empower families to exit homelessness, achieve sustainable self-sufficiency and help their children thrive. It is innovative in that it effectively harnesses the resources of the faith community
to be part of a solution to homelessness, not just a band aid. It manages not to re-create the wheel, but rather by providing a continuum of care and services, it effectively and economically addresses gaps in service that in the past have been major barriers to families struggling to truly exit homelessness. In addition, because the program is a step-by-step process from homelessness to a sustainable exit, the outcomes are clear and measurable.

There are five core stakeholders in the SSFH program, they are:

• Imagine LA
• Client Family
• Faith Partner (the Faith Community)
• Service Partners (Beyond Shelter, Transitional Housing, case management and others)
• Long-Term Housing Partners

As depicted in the visual above, the family is placed in permanent housing and surrounded by an interlocking safety net of support and services to ensure that a motivated family will sustain their housing status, and receive the services, mentorship, resources, and technical assistance they need to both grow and thrive. Together all of the Imagine LA Partners provide a continuum of resources and services for families to achieve a sustainable exit from homelessness. This economic and efficient "gap free" environment also enables all the Partners to experience the satisfaction of being part of a family's long-term solution to homelessness.

Download the full SSFH Program Model (pdf)

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Program Timeline

2008-06-26T19:52:27Z

Download the full Program Timeline (.pdf)

Phase 1 (1 - 2 months)

1. Create Faith Partnership

Faith Community signs Letter of Intent
Faith Community becomes ILA Faith Partner
Faith Partner Sponsorship Funds received
Faith Partner forms Leadership Team (volunteers & staff for the Family Support Team).

2. Identify Family

Work with Transitional Housing Partner (THP) to identify potential families.
Select a qualified Family (per ILA criteria and interview process).

3. Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Imagine LA, Faith Partner & Family sign an MOU

Phase 2 (2-6 months)

4. Create an Independent Living Plan & Budget (ILP & B)

Case Manager works with Family and Faith Partner to develop their ILP & B

5. Develop Faith Partner Team

Recruit additional volunteers for Faith Partner Support Team
Develop Communication Plan
Homelessness Sensitivity and Mentorship Training

6. Secure Housing

Find Housing
Collect furniture, computer and other household items for move-in
Move Family into housing

Phase 3 (6 - 24 months)

7. Execute ILP & B

Maintain Budget / Housing
Health / Nutrition
Education / Employment
Transportation
Ongoing support and mentorship

8. Ongoing Communication

Conference calls and meetings

9. Graduation!

Evaluation

Supportive Sustainable Family Housing & Mentorship (SSFH&M) Program features:

2008-06-26T20:44:21Z

Faith-based organizations become Imagine LA Faith Partners and agree to provide both a Family Support Team and Sponsorship Funds ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 depending upon ability. These funds are used primarily for rental deposits and Plan specified items as well as a safety net.
Homeless Families are identified by our Transitional Housing Partners early in a Family's transitional housing process. A family must be working, at least part-time prior to becoming an Imagine LA Family.
Case Management provided by Transitional Housing Provider.
Specific Family Plans and Budgets are developed prior to a Family being moved into long-term housing.
Rental Subsidies are provided directly to the landlord.
Faith-based Support Teams are involved with the Family for a minimum of two years. The Support Teams agree to:

Participate in Homelessness sensitivity education and Mentorship training.
Not to pressure or require any religious activities.
Maintain confidentiality about the Family and if working extensively with any member of the family, you must complete a background check.
Furnish the Family's home with household donations received through the congregation.
Not to give money or gift cards directly to the Family.

Program Participants

2008-07-23T23:42:05Z

Los Angeles, which boasts the world's fifth largest economy, since 2005, has become the Homeless Capital of our country. Currently, at least approximately 8,000 family units, representing more than 18,000 children and youth occupy our city.

97% of these families are headed by single women with an average of two to four children.
Many of these women are struggling with histories that include being victims of domestic abuse, injuries and/or illnesses resulting in loss of employment and housing*.

The journey begins with the inability to pay rent and then leads to eviction, forcing the family into motels, SRO hotels, homeless shelters, friends and relatives, or, ultimately, the streets. The typical homeless Mom is trying to survive without adequate housing, childcare, and access to support services. Her children are often uneducated; shuffled from one school to another due to the transient nature of no permanent housing. Homeless children, more often than not, drop out of school, fail, or join gangs.

The most innocent victims of family homelessness are the children. They are the ones who suffer the most, not knowing where their next meal, bed, or school is. The following transcription of an eleven year old homeless girl, speaks for itself.

From a tape recording of an 11-year old girl in an emergency shelter

"You think you know what homeless mean but you don't know nothin' 'bout homeless. You think homeless mean you ain't got no apartment, you ain't got no bed for yourself, ain't got no place to wash off when you soil or you be sweaty. Well, bein' homeless mean more than that.

It mean you ain't got no next-door neighbor, no best-friend no more. You don't got no favorite place to play, or hide your candy money. You don't even got your own seat in your own classroom, you be movin' so many time. Don't know the teacher name. So who care? She don't know your name either.

You ain't got no good memories of holidays or the movies or even rides. You ain't even got yourself bad memories. You know why? You bet you don't! 'Cause one shelter look like the next, and soon you can't remember how long you been in this one or that one. Anyway, it don't make no difference. Not after a while it don't. You know why? 'Cause you be doubling up so many nights in the same bed covers, sharin' the same potty so many nights, that one mornin' you turn into the other person.

So don't tell me you know 'bout homeless kids. And don't ask me if I understand what happen' to my family bein' we got no home. They invisible and so is me. I not here anymore. I died three years ago. Hey, you wastin' your time talkin' to a dead person."

* Please note that these matters do, indeed, precipitate homeless episodes; however, the underlying cause of extended family homelessness is simply the lack of affordable housing. Struggling parents in low paying jobs and the decreasing access to available Section 8 or other low-income housing is ultimately a losing situation. Imagine LA's current programming does not include the development of low-income housing, but we applaud and encourage those efforts.