Homelessness Prevention and Response

Nutrition is a vital component of individual health and wellbeing especially as we age. By supporting older adults in their ability to secure healthy nutritious food, we are also helping them maintain sustainable housing. Overall, our program provides the necessary safety net to help reduce homelessness by providing daily nutritious meals, safety checks, resource information and peace of mind for the participants and their loved ones thus keeping our neighborhoods stabilized.

Family Promise of Greater Beloit serves families with at least one child under age 18 with homelessness prevention and emergency housing and services.

Families with short-term financial emergencies receive eviction prevention assistance to help them remain in their homes. FPGB provides landlord mediation, one-time rental assistance, and additional single-incident services such as payment for utility bills, car repairs, or other transportation expenses.

Families facing immediate homelessness receive safe shelter, food, clothing, and transformational case management as they develop an action plan to regain housing and stability.

Families graduating from the shelter program receive 12 months of additional case management support in our stabilization program, and they may receive financial assistance to pay security deposits or first month’s rent if they are starting a new job or have other immediate expenses.

[Family Services is] using a team approach to providing services and concrete resources. The case manager functions as the "orchestrator conductor" in helping to determine with the parent and with team the overall plan, the sequence and coordination of services, the intended outcomes and is responsible for tracking progress and working as a team to revise or amend goals.

 

At the same time, program staff serve as resources, advocates, and champions. As a practical matter, the challenge is to be able to move beyond reacting/responding to crises (e.g., repairs to an automobile) and instead help the family decrease their vulnerability to set backs by increasing their resources/levels of self-sufficiency (for example, for those experiencing food insecurities, access to food is an important goal, however, the next step is secure access to adequate nutrition).

Family Services of Southern WI and Northern IL
Transitional Living Facility, 825 Liberty Ave., Beloit

 

While the physical complex of an 18-unit apartment structure with social services and childcare attached will be the most tangible aspect of project, the goals of the project are its most significant component: empowering two generations for success.

This will be accomplished by

a.) helping to improve the levels of self-sufficiency of resource-limited parents with young children,

b.) reduce the levels of toxic adverse childhood experiences, and

c.) increase the level of early childhood cognitive development.

Because housing security is critical for the well-being of young families and is extremely important for healthy childhood emotional, psychological, and cognitive development, Family Services intends to build and staff an 18-unit transitional living facility that will provide stable housing for participants and thus contribute to an increase in the likelihood that participating families will meet the above goals. Stable housing is necessary but is not sufficient to improve the prospects of the families.

The project will also provide individualized services to the participants as well offer access to an on-site childcare facility for serving both project participants and neighborhood families. By providing childcare and housing together, Family Services will be able provide benefits to families with young children as the parents work to position themselves to be able to secure and maintain stable housing.

The Community Comfort Closet project provides schools and youth serving organizations in our community with personal essentials needed to keep a person healthy both physically and mentally, who are experiencing homelessness.

 

Within the Comfort Closets there will be items such as undergarments, socks, school supplies, hygiene and laundry products and whatever individual needs are requested. Purchasing these items can be a huge financial burden to families where they may have to choose to pay their rent or mortgage or purchase the things their children need. These kinds of decisions can contribute to homelessness.

Project staff will engage in direct representation and strategic litigation directly related to a person’s housing safety or stability. Staff will also develop and facilitate community education through written materials, guides, and training workshops. These training resources will be designed for renters in the Beloit community as well as for the social service agencies supporting people at risk of homelessness.

This work aligns with the Beloit Area Taskforce on Homelessness’ strategic plan, in particular the strategies to

1. Utilize and provide education on legal empowerment tools,

2. Have legal representation present in court and/or access to assistance prior to going to court, and

3. Teach tenants how to assert their rights in a positive way.

Project 16:49's Robin House will provide safe, stable housing plus comprehensive age-appropriate case management. Residents will receive basic needs assistance, referrals (health, mental health, other services based on individual situation / needs), transportation assistance and planning, life skills education, goal planning assistance, educational and employment support, and other general support.

 

The TLP will help youth increase their self-sufficiency and prepare for independent living. Our aftercare services will provide support to ensure youth remain stably house following exit. We also are including funds in this request to assist youth with moving costs, including security deposit assistance, as many landlords are requiring extremely large deposits for our youth who do not have a long work history, no rental history, and no co-signer.

The purpose of the No Cost Transportation program is to give those in need of transportation to medical and other necessary appointments, the rides they need.

These rides are conducted so the driver picks the rider up at their place of residence, takes them to their appointment, often escorting them into specific office areas, waits for them and then delivers them safely back to their residence. These individuals have doctor appointments, lab appointments, procedures, prescriptions to pick up, and more that they would not be able to do without this service.

This is a service to the rider as well as to the medical facilities setting the appointments they are delivered to. The various medical operations have repeatedly requested the assistance of RSVP to get their patient to necessary appointments and procedures. They have also thanked RSVP for the assistance, saying it has helped the individual get otherwise missed treatments and services.