The Service Coordinator maintains liaisons with local schools and social service agencies and has developed a Community Directory with continually updated information on available programs and activities. A Beyond Shelter Family Survival Guide also helps residents address ongoing issues. Tanya Tull, D.S.Sc, is the Executive Director of Beyond Shelter. The mission of Beyond Shelter is to combat chronic poverty, welfare dependency and homelessness among families with children, through the provision of housing and social services, and the promotion of systemic change. While there is no one way to develop service-enriched housing, resident participation is one key to success.
Successful programs respond to and emanate from the needs of residents.
Provision of services often begins with a survey of residents to identify services and activities that would benefit them. Program development based on actual experience can be the determining factor between success and failure. Organizations often find a surprising number of resources and services already available to residents in the community. Coordinating access to local resources and services becomes the major focus of their work. New housing or rehabilitation projects are often able to fund the salary of a services coordinator within the operating budget, although this will depend on the size of a project and the amount of subsidy it receives.