Family Promise of Sussex County (FPSC) received a $100,000 Impact100 Garden State grant in 2021, while the COVID-19 pandemic was well underway, creating a need for new thinking about supporting homeless individuals and families . The grant, which was completed in the first quarter of 2023, was instrumental to the implementation of an expanded mission and services.
FPSC’s mission had long been “to serve the homeless population by uniting local community resources to provide shelter and meals; work with families to overcome barriers to self-sufficiency; and advocate for local affordable housing solutions.” However, pandemic required FPSC to pivot the way they were providing services to the homeless. During and after the pandemic, FPSC updated their mission to reflect their new housing model, which now states, “to secure housing stability and sustainability for those in crisis… because everyone deserves a home.”
Tools for transitions
Up until 2020, FPSC used a rotational model of housing, which meant that overnight sheltering occurred at local churches. This practice could no longer be sustained during the pandemic as local churches were forced to close.
FPSC then began to implement an apartment and hotel/motel shelter model for sheltering individuals and families. In 2022, FPSC supported 16 households with temporary shelter—five families living in apartments and the other 11 families living in hotel/motel locations. Family Promise now maintains two one-bedroom apartments, fully furnished for their clients. The hotel/motel shelter model was discontinued in 2023 due to limited availability of hotel/motel units.
In 2023, FPSC provided temporary shelter for 10 people in eight households and so far in 2024, FPSC has provided short-term housing for four people in three households. Overall, of the 10 people who have exited this program, nine have exited to stable, permanent housing in their own rented apartments.
More than just shelter
FPSC also provides case management, a necessary component in the process of enabling individuals and families to transition into permanent housing. The people served in this program are often suffering from chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, or mental health conditions and may have other needs that must be met to successfully remain housed. Case managers provide referrals for medical, mental health, and community services.
Additionally, clients receive food from the agency’s Food Bank, personal hygiene products, coats and winter gear, and toys for their children at Christmas. Clients also can take advantage of workshops provided by the FPSC, such as their Financial Literacy courses, and programs for children, like “Summer of You” program, which provides fun activities and helps children learn to cope with the trauma and the stress of housing insecurity.
Looking to the future
Homelessness continues to increase. Between 2022 and 2023, homelessness increased in Sussex County by a whopping 137%, per the Point-in-Time count completed by Monarch Housing. It increased in the state of New Jersey by 17%, and nearby Warren and Morris counties by about a third.
FPSC has experienced this increase firsthand. In 2019, pre-pandemic, the agency worked with 327 households. In 2020, that number fell to 266 as the eviction moratorium prevented landlords from evicting families. In 2021, although the moratorium remained in place throughout the year a rising number of households began reaching out for support and 557 households contacted FPSC for support. In 2022, 674 households were assisted through the agency to bring about housing stability and sustainability.
FPSC has secured funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to expand their short-term housing services with a transitional housing program. They now have two fully furnished one-bedroom apartments that provide domestic abuse survivors a place to stay to heal before moving on to permanent housing. FPSC is seeking additional funds so they can expand this aspect of their program to veterans, adults 55+, individuals with disabilities, chronically homeless people and families, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
A success story
Currently, transitional housing provides shelter for domestic violence survivors experiencing homelessness, and for whom the effects of trauma have made maintaining housing difficult. These units give these individuals stability, supportive services, and time as they work toward successfully moving into permanent housing.
One client who benefited from these services is Edith, who survived decades of domestic violence, battles alcohol addiction and suffers from chronic health issues. Though she has a bachelor’s degree and comes from an educated, middle-class family, during years of trauma Edith developed unhealthy coping skills that made it difficult to hold a job and eventually led to homelessness for 20 years.
Edith spent three months in the FPSC shelter before moving to the Transitional Housing program. The transitions, both to the emergency shelter and transitional housing, were difficult for Edith. Having been homeless for so long, it was hard to trust that she wouldn’t lose what she was gaining, but she persevered, She spent six months in Transitional Housing and graduated in January to FPSC’s Permanent Supportive Housing program, where she lives independently with continued support from case managers.
Impact100 Garden State is proud to support organizations like FPSC that help people build resilience and self-sufficiency and become more productive members of society, thereby benefiting the whole community. To learn more about FPSC, visit www.familypromisesussex.org.
Written by Kimberly Elmore