Shelter Diversion stabilizes families at-risk of homelessness to prevent the need to enter a homeless shelter. Provided in partnership with Strategies to End Homelessness, the program focuses on offering intensive case management during a relatively short timeframe to help families facing low barriers stabilize quickly along with housing placement and on-going resource connections. Found House prevents over 40 vulnerable families annually from entering shelter.

From the moment families enter the door at Found House, they are provided with not just everyday needs such as food and clothing, but also services to propel them to long-term success. For caregivers, this might mean help connecting with various government benefits programs and employment assistance. For children, this means transportation to school, after-school programming, therapeutic programs, developmental resources, and play. Some of Found House’s key Emergency Shelter program objectives are:

• Address the basic needs of families experiencing homelessness;
• Create an individualized case management plan to address family needs and map a path out of homelessness;
• Give children access to opportunities to learn, build pro-social skills and relationship and decrease stress;
• Support parents/caregivers in addressing their children’s academic, developmental, emotional and social needs;
• Build the therapeutic effectiveness and long-term sustainability of Found House programs via training and partnerships that engage the community.

Found House’s Emergency Shelter Program meets the basic needs of families, while helping them to obtain permanent housing and plan and prepare for brighter futures. With the support of over 100 congregational partners, representing people of Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Unitarian faiths, volunteers put their faith into action to provide overnight lodging and meals to families.

KEYS to a Future Without Homelessness (Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project) – The KEYS Program is a collaboration of agencies committed to specialized support for 18-24 year olds experiencing homelessness and expecting, or parenting children. Finding housing is especially difficult for young people with little/no credit or good tenancy history.

Emerging research about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and early-childhood trauma has influenced the lens by which Found House views outreach efforts to children. The extreme poverty that leads to homelessness means young children often lack basic necessities and are more likely to suffer from educational and medical neglect, hunger, and exposure to unsafe living conditions. They are 4 times more likely to experience delays in development, twice the rate of learning disabilities and are at increased risk for emotional and behavioral problems. A homeless child faces rather discouraging barriers to his or her academic success.

Recognizing the increased risks that these young guests face, Found House established the Child Enrichment program to provide a safe, child-centered experience that addresses their unique needs. The Child Enrichment program focuses on minimizing factors that would otherwise put children’s futures at risk, providing educational support, structured activities, and integrated assessment services. The positive outcomes that kids and their parents achieve through Found House’s programs in the short-term can have long-lasting effects that follow them into brighter futures.

Aftercare provides extended case management & support for families after exiting Found House’s Emergency Shelter acting as a short-term safety-net when facing temporary setbacks that could jeopardize their housing.

Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing (TH-RRH) provides higher level of support for parents of young children through transitional housing while achieving goals and addressing barriers, leading to Rapid Re-Housing (RRH) and gradual housing independence. The TH/RRH program is modeled after a newer housing project type introduced by HUD as a best practice for domestic violence and youth population and is meant to provide a range of options to meet the individual needs of families transitioning out of homelessness, while offering specialized supports and interventions for expecting parents and families with younger children. Additionally, Found House’s Child Enrichment Program has expanded some of their services to include the TH/RRH program and case management plans include goals supporting developmental and educational achievement of children, which will support continued family stability and success in the second generation.

Rapid Re-housing (RRH) quickly links families to housing. Rapid rehousing provides case management services & assistance with deposit, rent & utilities for a limited timeframe while families stabilize.