My Family is Homeless

March 13, 2011, is "My Family is Homeless" 
(written by Kelly Gauthier with Marge Hermes & Jim Varani & P&J Committe).
Shari’s Story 
Shari called IHN @ Alpha House seeking shelter when her family faced eviction because they owed several months of back rent.  After being added to the shelter’s wait list, she was contacted by the IHN Family Outreach Specialist, who discovered that Shari had made contact with other community organizations and successfully secured some of the needed back rent – but not all.  The IHN Outreach Specialist contacted other community organizations and ultimately secured the full amount of rent owed, preventing Shari’s eviction.
Shari was facing medical issues and was concerned about how those would impact her employment, and potentially endanger her family’s housing again.  She received a referral to the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing Program (a stimulus-funded Washtenaw County program) that ensured Shari’s rent would be paid during her medical leave and that she would be able to maintain her housing until she returned to work.
A Growing Need
With high unemployment and foreclosures, families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in Washtenaw County.  Demand for shelter services has risen dramatically in the past three years.  The waiting list at the Alpha House family shelter (previously 25-30 families) now averages about 50 families, and reached a high of 120 families during the winter of 2009-10.  Shelter resources are stretched past their limits, and both federal and local affordable housing wait lists are closed to new applicants.  This leaves many desperate families with nowhere to turn when they need help.
Our Lenten donations will go to the RAAH capital campaign, which will give $40,000 to the SOS Community Services Housing First Program.  This program provides low-income families with rent subsidies for up to 2 years, along with case management, support groups, children’s services, and other critical resources (participating families pay up to 30% of their income for housing).  Nearly 92% of the families that have completed this program maintained their housing without interruption—they did not have to experience the agony of homelessness.  Our Lenten donations will help families (like Shari’s) stay housed!
**Remember, organizations like Alpha House, SOS, and RAAH are always in need of volunteers**