Funded by Amazon\u2019s Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos\u2019 Day One Families Fund, our newest project is a four-year expansion of our Homeless Services. Bethlehem Housing serves homeless families with children in the eight civil parishes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, providing rapid re-housing services to stabilize families quickly to address the root causes of their homelessness.<\/p>\n
Our primary goal is to help families locate and secure affordable housing, which may include deposits, first month\u2019s rent, and other necessary move-in costs. Ongoing financial assistance is based on a progressive engagement model and will decrease over time with the family\u2019s portion increasing at a manageable rate. This also comes with the expectation that the family will engage in financial education, including budgeting, avoiding predatory lending, managing bank accounts, and saving for the future.<\/p>\n
Once the family has stabilized housing, the deeper work begins. Families will complete a comprehensive assessment that measures functionality across 20 life areas. From this assessment, we will begin to build upon the family\u2019s strengths and target interventions in areas of growth. The family and case manager will work together to define the family\u2019s goals. Case managers will serve as coaches, advocates, and resource coordinators, but ultimately, the family is responsible for implementing the plans.<\/p>\n
Expanding upon our extensive history with federally funded homeless programs, we will utilize best practices from services across the country and the latest research from evidence-based homeless programming to design an effective project that inspires lasting improvements for the families we serve. We are excited to build upon our rich history as a homeless service provider, and we plan to use this infusion of funds to bolster our services so that no child sleeps outside in our community.<\/p>\n