Resilience Housing Initiative
Resilience Housing Initiative
D’Oshnie Smith | 2021
Abstract
The Resilience Housing Initiative focuses on creating a transitional housing program that enables and equips single mothers and their children with the skills and opportunities needed to be successful as a family unit. Our agenda will create sustainable results that allow single mothers to be self-sufficient and thrive instead of struggling to maintain and survive. Some challenges that plague the single mother family unit are unemployment, financial literacy, housing, poverty, and substantial food and nutrition. The housing options and many of the programs that offer assistance for single mothers provide temporary relief or solutions that don’t elevate the single mother units, creating lasting change or impact that ensure lasting better quality of life for the family. It is the equivalent of providing a band-aid for a wound that requires surgical intervention. Our solution combines principles of social welfare programs, Biblical principles, and elements of the rehabilitation program’s rules and structure to provide a safe and secure housing environment where growth and lasting transition can occur. Our comprehensive program’s services include:
- Counseling.
- Hands-on life skills training.
- Housing assistance.
- Career skill enhancement.
- Financial literacy development.
- Child-rearing support.
- Stress management training.
- Leadership training.
Program participants will have required milestones to help document their progress and results. These milestones included but are not limited to:
- Attend required training and classes.
- Met set goal dates established by individual and case manager.
- Respect and uphold housing and program rules.
- Demonstrate independence as oversight and follow-ups decrease while in the program.
- Reduce or eliminate debt.
- Meet savings goals.
- Reach career and education goals.
- Meet required income to expense ratio.
We plan to offer extended support to program graduates. When possible, we will incorporate graduates into our volunteer force or even hire them as staff in some cases. If graduates face hardships, we will partner them with the right resources to maintain stability. A mentoring program comprised of volunteers and, eventually, graduates will work with candidates in the program and individuals who transition out. Refresher training and courses available for mothers who go through our program, reduced to no fee depending on the materials and subject matter covered.