Collide Issue 30: The Middle

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