Collide Issue 30: The Middle

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Transitioning Out of Homelessness: New Beginnings for LA Families By Kennedy Myers The amount of homeless people in Los Angeles has increased by 12 percent since 2013, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Los Angeles was recently declared to be in a state of of emergency for homelessness, as people have lost their jobs and then proceeded to lose their houses, forcing them to live on the streets. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, 30 percent of all homeless people living in Los Angeles are chronically homeless individuals. According to the White House website, President Obama’s project “Opening Doors” has helped decrease the number of unsheltered homeless veterans by nearly 50 percent since 2010. On Feb. 9, the President announced his new $11 billion plan to fight family homelessness. Over the next 10 years, the majority of this money will be used for housing vouchers, while the rest will be used for other short-term help. Organizations around the greater Los Angeles area are helping create long-term plans to help transition people out of homelessness. Rather than focusing on finding immediate housing for homeless people, these organizations empower participants with the skills to keep a job so they do not return to living on the streets. Instead of giving individuals quick 24 • Collide • March 2016 fixes by housing them immediately, shelters like the Foothill Family Shelter encourage residents to participate in finding a job, attending financial training and meeting with a counselor. “Homelessness can create a lot of stress and barriers, so meeting with a counselor is mandatory, ” said Megan Nehamen, co-executive director of The Foothill Family Shelter. “Homelessness can create a lot of stress and barriers, so meeting with a counselor is mandatory, ” said Megan Nehamen Founded in 1984, the Foothill Family Shelter is a nonprofit organization that houses homeless
Booker Sanders, 55, has spent the past 20 years living on Skid Row. He hopes to one day go back to school and help others on the Row in the future. Photo Courtesy of Benjamin Dunn families for free up to 120 days and provides transitional housing to help families back to the workforce. Nehamen explained that prospective program participants are chosen via a selective screening and application process. “We interview families to make sure these families will participate in the program. A lot of times people come to us in desperation with no hope, but often times people who come to us are not ready for the program,” Nehamen said, adding that the shelter staff interviewed 64 families the previous week. According to Nehamen, there are 28 apartments for the three different programs. There is also one-year housing and permanent housing available for those who have already successfully completed the 120-day program. Some families are not ready for the program because they do not want to commit to finding a job, meeting with counselors, attending job development meetings and meeting with a client service team. In order to live in a furnished apartment with both rent and utilities paid for, the families must fully participate in the program. All of the adults must learn independent living skills such as household budgeting, job searching, resume writing skills and conflict resolution. In order to be a part of the program, the parents must be working, or have an income such as welfare or unemployment. Half of everything they earn will be put into a trust fund with the shelter for them to receive once they have completed the program. The families must be www.theclause.org/collide • 25
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Collide Issue 30: The Middle

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