“Here I am now in my new home, sitting on my sofa, relaxing. I’ve collected a few of my favorite things to surround me with and enjoy. It’s easy to have a building with things in it. But to have something that’s personal, it means something-it was purchased by choice…free will. Those things make a home.”

Gabby, reStart Permanent Housing Resident

Program Description - We provide two permanent housing programs: A New Start with 21 units of permanent housing in a 3-building apartment complex for adults with persistent mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse disorders and Vocational Living Center that provides permanent housing and supportive services for 12 chronically homeless adults with disabilities. These programs offer supportive health care; educational assistance; chemical dependency support groups; life skills classes; housing assistance; and other supports through our partners and our case management team.

Program Category - Housing Support - Housing

Target Population Served - Disabled, General or Disability Unspecified Poor/Economically Disadvantaged, Indigent, General Substance Abusers (Drug/Alcohol Abusers)

Program long-term success defined - Men and women sustain permanent housing, employment, education or skills, mental/physical healthcare and greater self-determination to be self-sufficient and end their homelessness, as well as achieve goals for work, school, skills and personal/interpersonal goals.

Program short-term success defined - This program is designed to help people who have persistent mental illness, physical disabilities, substance abuse disorders, or any combination of these issues, achieve a permanent and lasting housing and remove them from the homeless services network.

Program success monitored by - We monitor the progress of each individual in our permanent housing program--their case managment and personal action plans and the outcomes of their involvement in supportive services. We track outputs through MaacLink database and provide internal and external reports quarterly and annually throughout the year on how the program is working. If or when problems arise throughout the year, we work diligently to address them and better our performance in meeting the goals of the program and ensuring continued success.

Examples or evidence of program success - After providing permanent housing to up to 18 individuals at A New Start permanent housing complex throughout 2006, we recently added additional permanent housing services in 2007 by taking over operation of the Vocational Living Center. Here is one resident's comments on what "home" means to him. "Here I am in my new home, sitting on my sofa, relaxing. I've collected a few of my favorite things to surround me with and enjoy. it's easy to have a building with things in it. But to have something that's personal, it means something--it was purchased by choice . . . free will. Those things make a home." Gabby went through emergency and transitional housing, received supportive care for mental illness and substance abuse and now is living in permanent housing and has reconnected with two siblings after decades of isolation. Gabby's health, well-being and future are brighter than ever. The benefits of permanent housing do not stop at simply a place to live, they reach much farther.