Organization: NICHOLAS HOUSE INC
Mission: The Nicholas House mission is to help homeless families achieve self-sufficiency. We do so by providing a temporary place to live while addressing the roots causes of why a family is homeless so they may never be homeless again.
Activities: During the 2019-20 fiscal year, Nicholas House continued its impact for homeless families by providing housing and services to 821 homeless children and parents, representing 236 homeless families and a 40% increase over the previous year as we responded to the impact of the economic impact of the Pandemic on families. We are currently providing housing and services to nearly 300 people each night through a variety of programs that assist homeless families at various stages of need. 94% of families move into their own housing after exiting our programs and 80% of families maintain their own housing without the need for help at least a year or more after leaving our services. Additionally, during the fiscal year 44% increased income while in programs, 33% decreased debt, 16% improved education, and 30% of children living in shelter were on the school honor roll with 100% graduating to the next grade. A summary of our primary efforts are:Covid Response - Special emergency efforts were implemented this year in response to the global Pandemic of Covid-19. Efforts focused on emergency rental and utility assistance to maintain housing for people losing jobs due to the pandemic. (328 people in 106 families were assisted with this program).Home Again Home Again is for families with enough income to maintain housing but who are threatened with homelessness due to an unexpected hardship or remain homeless due to lack of savings for deposits or poor credit/eviction histories rendering them unable to obtain new leases. Nicholas House provides homeless prevention funding for rent/utility arrears to help families avoid eviction along with budgeting/financial education workshops to ensure future success. Families are able to pay all their own housing costs moving forward. (98 people in 27 families were assisted within this program) Homeless 2 Homes (H2H) For families with some income but not enough, H2H moves families quickly into their own apartments of their choice and out of emergency shelters for greater independence and accountability. Homeless families pay 30% of their income toward rent with the remainder subsidized until they can take over complete payment of rent with growing income. Case management and support services ensure progress on family goals, budgeting and needed life skill trainings. (148 people in 40 families were assisted within this program). Boulevard Shelter - For families with no income, Nicholas House - Boulevard provides a safe group home for families of any size or make-up to keep families intact and off the street.Many other shelters may separate families and genders. Families define and address the causes of homelessness, including employment training, money management, family skills or others. A strong emphasis on accountability and personal progress is required. (120 people in 31 families were assisted within this program) New Horizons For families with no income plus additional major barriers, New Horizons provides permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless families with disabilities. Families are provided immediate housing in their own apartment and surrounded with services to address their physical and mental health needs as well asoverall case management support. (93 people in 23 families were assisted in this program). Housing Stabilization and Aftercare - In a unique effort, Nicholas House follows all families after they leave its program for up to two years in order to maintain contact, assess long- term success, ensure full transition to self-sufficiency and ensure no unforeseen problems create a relapse to homelessness. Research shows that a year after leaving Nicholas House,80% of families continue to earn a living wage, maintain their own housing and have a healthy family environment. Youth Services - Breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness for future enerations while supporting a healthy family life today. Two-thirds of the homeless people housed by Nicholas House are children. A comprehensive Youth Services effort addresses the unique educational, emotional, social and behavioral needs of homeless children and provides after school programming, an 8-week summer camp, evening activity hours and mentoring designed for age specific groups. A focus is on establishing educational and life-long personal skills that will create a healthy, productive and self-sufficient adult. Adult Education/Training - Creating a new future by defining goals and providing the educational and training support to make dreams reality. Each family establishes an Individual Service Plan tailored to identify and address the unique causes of each family's homelessness. Weekly, monthly and long-term goals are set. Twice weekly evening courses offer 24 different topics to address areas such as interview skills, resume writing, budget management, debt reduction, computer use, parenting skills, stress management and other professional or life skills. Regular meetings with a case manager ensure accountability toward achieving the plan and constant adjustments. Continued progress toward goals is a requirement for continued program participation and housing. Resources and Referrals - In support of the families' needs and self-sufficiency plans, multiple direct resources and referrals to collaborative partners are provided to parents and children as needs are defined. They range from meals, diapers, and transportation to a savings matching program, employment training and healthcare access.
NTEE category: Housing & Shelter
Secondary category: Human Services