TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM

What Is It?
A joint Christian effort by area churches to help needy families with children who are homeless by providing a furnished home for a period of up to two years.

Who Refers The Family To The Program?
Our referrals come from families who have been guests in the Emergency Family Shelter, located here at Loaves and Fishes as well as Waterfront Mission Women's Shelter and Favor House, a Domestic Violence Shelter for women and children. When a vacancy occurs in one of the homes, guests are interviewed and evaluated as candidates for this program.

What Is Offered To The Families?
Each family is given intense social work with regard to goal planning, financial planning, employment skills, educational opportunities, counseling and parenting. Additionally, the program can offer assistance with medical care, transportation, clothing vouchers, and referrals to appropriate community resources. Families are also ministered to spiritually in terms of their Church affiliation. Visiting church representatives from Churches who support this program offer our program families much needed support.

Who Supports The Home?
Area churches join together to monetarily and spiritually support a home. They contribute $150-$200 per month to cover expenses such as utilities, telephone, maintenance, staff, office expenses, taxes and insurance. The more churches committed to help us in our program the more families we can help. Each church names a representative who visits and ministers to the family. The representative is invited to periodic joint meetings with other church representatives. The representatives receive a monthly report written by the caseworker assigned each house, which may be shared with their church congregations.

We also are supported by government grants such as HUD Supportive Housing grant. We are able to expand our Transitional Housing Program thanks to this grant.

Why A Long Term Time Frame Of Up To Two Years?
Typically, agencies give homeless families a one-month handout. This is rarely enough time for a family to find employment, catch up on past bills, pay rent and utility deposits, etc. By the next month the family usually finds themselves in just as bad a situation. This program was designed to help a family with transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency and a longer period of time to work with them was deemed necessary. This period of time also enables the family to save a significant amount of money. Keeping a family for a longer period of time enables them to get much needed education to assist them in getting a job that will support their family. Most families leave us financially able to make all rental and utility deposits as well as additional funds for other purchases and some even buy a home thanks to 1st time low-income homebuyers.

How Many Homes Are In Operation Now?
We currently have 25 churches of all mainline Christian denominations participating and supporting 17 homes (two in the Milton area) in the Pensacola/Gulf Breeze area.

How Many Families Have Been Helped So Far?
Since August 1987, this program has helped 242 families including 584 children.