Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good
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Never Miss a Chance to Do the Most Good
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TAKE A SWING AT HOMELESSNESS
5th Annual Cheryl Mohr Big Cup Golf Outing, Sunday, August 4 in support of The Salvation Army of Fond du Lac Housing Retention Program
THERE IS AN ENDGAME TO HOMELESSNESS IN FDL COUNTY.
“Even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” — S. Chobsky
Housing Retention keeps families from experiencing homelessness. Only motivated households are eligible for this intensive program. In exchange for hard work alongside our team, participants stay in their homes through temporary financial hardship and escape eviction.
HOW DOES HOUSING RETENTION SERVE PARTICIPANTS?
Those that are accepted into the housing retention program, will get assistance with their rent or mortgage for an extended period of time, along with supportive case management, goal planning, money management, employment, and a circle of support from licensed case managers, as well as a team of alternate support from volunteers, ad board, and mentors.
Program participants benefit from three strong arms of support: 1) a financial bridge to keep them and their household intact for up to 12 months while they move through their financial crisis maximum $4500) 2) tangible traditional services AND 3)the trauma influenced consistent corrective experiences delivered through professional staff and an arm of trained support figures for the duration of their enrollment, delivering clients on the other side of crisis, household intact, with a stronger mental, emotional, spiritual capacity to succeed.
Both arms of the program (financial and consistent corrective experience from alternate support figures) are essential. The city in its 2022-2026 Consolidated Plan & 2022 Annual Action Plan noted “instability in housing causes instability and stress in other areas of daily living and significantly impact a person's ability to be successful and overcome obstacles.” Pg 18
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HOW DOES HOUSING RETENTION SERVE FDL COUNTY?
Our work relieves government and taxpayer burden.
Each time our housing retention program keeps a household intact through a temporary financial crisis, it is one more household that is not "living in the street" and relying on agency, organization and taxpayer support. Once people become homeless, getting them into housing continues to be an issue because of the national housing crisis that county also lives with. Keeping people in their homes is crucial to stopping the number becoming homeless.
Each time we successfully intervene, 48,473 taxpayer households in Fond du Lac County are saved from shouldering costs associated with homelessness.
WHAT COSTS TO OUR COMMUNITY ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HOMELESSNESS?
Research shows that for every 12 households that are supported and saved, there is a $1.6 million economic impact to taxpayers. Without stable housing, people cycle in and out of emergency departments, inpatient hospital stays, psychiatric centers, detoxification programs, and jails, resulting in high public costs and poor health outcomes for individuals including premature death. **
**The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates a person experiencing chronic homelessness costs the taxpayer an average of $35,000 a year (2016). 12 households of 4 served through housing retention means a $1.6 million savings.
WHAT MAKES US SO SURE HOUSING RETENTION IS THE TURNING POINT IN FDL COUNTY'S ENDGAME FOR HOMELESSNESS?
We have evidence to substantiate its impact: The Salvation Army in the Fox Cities Housing Retention Program has seen an amazing 92% of those entering the program, successfully complete the program. 96% of those that have entered the program have found housing stability. These same families were still in stable housing after a year of exiting the Housing Retention Program.
What makes this program different from anything else offered in FDL County at this time?
Ours is a full circle strategy that most thoroughly addresses the layers of need associated with the circumstances surrounding homelessness. There are other organizations and agencies in the community that provide one-time emergency rent or utility assistance to individuals and families, but none that do so over a longer period of time coupled with trauma-informed case management, strengths-based coaching, financial counseling, pastoral care and the available addiction treatment program as well as tangible immediate resources (food, clothing, food, household items, personal care items, school supplies, city bus passes, work boots, access to laundry & our seasonal Coats for Kids, Christmas Angel Tree, & summer Brown Bag Lunch Program. etc.) that sustain a household. With trained substance abuse counselors and licensed social workers on staff, we are able to walk through the process and celebrate the outcomes.
First to fund a portion of this powerful work: FDL Area Foundation IMPACT GRANT, National Exchange Bank Barbara & Peter Stone Foundation, The Osborn Family and community families who
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Emotional & Spiritual Guidance
Housing retention is a program that intervenes in times of acute financial difficulty to keep a household intact (in their home) while they work through a temporary financial setback that would otherwise lead to eviction.
Those who are currently employed & living in a home, rooming house or apartment with evidence of a temporary financial hardship and motivation to accept and apply guidance and training. The program targets 33% of FDL County’s population living in poverty or earning less than the basic costs of living.
The program extends a financial bridge for 6 months to STOP participants from being put out of their homes because of a temporary financial crisis PLUS a toolbox of corrective, trauma informed guidance which builds their resilience. In the end, households move past their temporary financial crisis armed with a stronger mental, emotional, spiritual capacity to succeed and a deeper understanding of how to make the best financial choices to ensure a bright future.
There are community costs associated with homelessness.
Without stable housing, people cycle in and out of emergency departments, inpatient hospital stays, psychiatric centers, detoxification programs, and jails, resulting in high public costs and poor health outcomes for individuals including premature death. National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates a person experiencing chronic homelessness costs the taxpayer an average of $35,000 a year (2016).
The goal of The Salvation Army Housing Retention Program is to serve 12 households initially. You do the math.