Families

  • Families have to be income eligible to get access to shelter. They can apply through a Department of Transitional Assistance office.
  • Homeless families have access to housing units, and have a safety net of hotels and motels if emergency shelter units are not available.
  • Families have improved access to wraparound services, like training for employment skills and case management.

Individuals

  • System for individuals is fragmented, with some shelters receiving funding for evening beds only and others operating as day programs.
  • Hotels and motels are not an option for individuals when emergency shelters have reached capacity.
  • When beds are not available, many homeless individuals have to sleep on the floor in order to avoid bad weather.
  • Many individuals have to leave evening shelters during the day time.
  • Homeless service providers are doing a lot with a little, stretching funds to provide programming and by necessity, supplementing state funding with private fundraising.