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New Promising Strategy Profile
Readers of the Mercer Alliance Report “A
New Direction for Ending Homelessness,” saw many references to Rapid
Rehousing. The fullest description yet of Mercer’s approach is a write-up by
the National Alliance to End Homelessness of Mercer’s program as “a
promising practice.” (attached). In The Rapid Rehousing program, a family’s
rent is paid and they receive intensive case management to get them back to
employment and self-sufficiency. Here’s one such story.
Ciara is a young single mother of one child, without a GED or High School
Diploma, and very little work experience. Ciara had no supports to assist
her. However, Ciara came into the program with a determination to get off
the system and someday obtain a certificate as a Medical Assistant. For the
first 5 months, she was not successful in the job search, but it was clear
that she did have a determination to work. With persistence and intensive
case management support intervention, Ciara landed a job as the only Visual
Merchandiser at a large department store and as a cashier working part time
with another large retail company. She has exited successfully from the
program and has maintained housing and employment.
A new resource "Promising Strategies: Mercer County Board of Social Services and Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness" is now available from the National Alliance to End Homelessness that examines how one homeless service agency has partnered with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agency in their community to reduce family homelessness.
The Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBOSS) and Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness (Mercer Alliance) are working together to expand rapid re-housing services and change how TANF resources are used to help families in Mercer County, NJ, move quickly out of shelter programs and into housing and jobs.
In a two year period, the number of families in shelters or transitional housing on any given day declined by 20 percent, and the number of families living in motels over the course of a month declined by 66 percent.
Below is an excerpt from the document. Download the full document.
Promising Strategies: Mercer County Board of Social Services and Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness Mercer County, New Jersey
Overview
The Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBOSS) and Mercer Alliance to End Homelessness (Mercer Alliance) are transforming the County’s response to family homelessness and they are seeing results. In a two year period, the number of families in shelter or transitional housing on any given day declined by 20 percent and the number of families residing in motels over the course of a month declined by 66 percent. This was achieved through expanding rapid re-housing and shifting how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) resources are used to help families move quickly out of shelter programs and into housing and jobs.
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