The Nicholas House ::

OUR MISSION

Nicholas House, Inc. helps homeless families achieve self-sufficiency by providing a temporary place to live while addressing the root causes of their homelessness, so they never become homeless again.

The mission of Nicholas House, Inc. is to assist homeless families in making the transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency in a structured but home-like environment. Nicholas House is committed to assisting its families attain three goals that form the basis of self-sufficiency.

1. Earning a Living Wage
2. Maintaining the Physical, Mental and Social Health of Parents and Children
3. Maintaining Safe and Stable Housing

Nicholas House understands that providing basic subsistence – food and shelter – is necessary but not sufficient to prevent most homeless families from becoming homeless again.

We help families address the causes of their homelessness by offering counseling, case management, assistance with life skills and parenting and other supportive services targeted to each family's individual needs. Families are eligible to participate in NHI programs for up to two years. After they graduate, they are offered an additional two years of Aftercare Services so that they can cement the gains they made while in the program and maintain their self-sufficient lifestyle.

Nicholas House is establishing itself as the benchmark by which other homeless programs in the Atlanta area measure their success. We work continuously to improve the quality of our programs and produce measurable results. These attainments are measured 6, 12 and 24 months after a family leaves our programs, and the success of the program is determined on how a family is a year or more after they have graduated from the facility.

WHO WE SERVE

Nicholas House accepts homeless families no matter what their size and makeup: expectant mothers, single mothers and fathers, couples and their children, including teenage male children-and large families with as many as 10 members. Because most shelters are gender-specific, serving only men or women and their children, homelessness often separates family members from each other. By accepting the entire family, Nicholas House helps keep families together.

WHAT MAKES NICHOLAS HOUSE UNIQUE?

SELF-SUFFICIENCY: Self-sufficiency is not simply the ability to return and maintain one’s own housing; it consists of the financial, emotional, social, and physical health of all family members. Nicholas House case managers work with clients to examine these various aspects of their lives, set goals and make individual service plans to address and focus them on the changes that need to be made.
MUTUAL COMMITTMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY: One of the distinctive aspects that sets Nicholas House apart from other programs is accountability. The level to which clients are held responsible for making progress is intentional, explicit and clearly communicated to a client from the first interview to graduation day. At 90-day intervals, each parent must re-qualify for housing based upon a comprehensive review of their progress on their service plans with the Client Service staff.
ALL FAMILY MEMBERS ARE CLIENTS: Children receive specific program attention to address their needs just like their parents. Each child’s academic, physical, social and emotional well-being is evaluated. Plans are developed by staff along with parents and children to address those needs and are supported through a comprehensive Youth Services program that includes Afterschool care, teen mentoring groups and a summer camp for all school-aged youth.
REIMBURSEMENT AND SAVINGS PROGRAM: All resident families pay a monthly program fee based upon their income to establish the habit and discipline of paying rent. If there is no income, there is no fee due. The maximum monthly program fee amount is $250. At the end of their stay at NHI, all residents are reimbursed 25% of the total amount paid in monthly program fees. In addition, clients are encouraged to save their own funds which NHI holds and will match dollar for dollar up to 25% of the amount paid as program fee. Through active participation in this program families have the potential to accumulate a significant “nest egg” by graduation time.
AFTERCARE: Graduating families are encouraged to maintain contact with client services staff for up two years after a family has left the program. Families have the support of and access to all resources available through the client services staff as well as up to $500 annually in rent and/or utility assistance in order to prevent a recurrence of homelessness. The additional support assists families in cementing the gains they made while in the program so that they will never become homeless again. This program also allows NHI to gather data regarding each family’s ability to maintain safe, stable housing and earn a living wage so that long term outcomes are documented. Nicholas House then uses this information to improve and expand its programs.
HOMELESS TO HOMES (H2H): H2H is a housing-first program that places our families into the next stage of self-sufficiency by moving them out of the institution of the shelter and into a healthy community as soon as possible. Subsidized, time-limited rent is provided while families "learn to earn" and eventually afford the rent on their own. The program stipulates employment and has financial criteria that serve as tangible goals to motivate parents to work hard. Working within an apartment community setting takes Nicholas House into communities where we believe issues of poverty, not just homelessness need to be tackled.
VOLUNTEERS: Nicholas House Inc. could not function and be the success that it is without its volunteers. Over 6,000 individuals each year assist with all aspects of maintaining the agency and its programs. Improving facilities and grounds, tutoring and supervising our resident children, running the front office, presenting educational courses to residents, preparing meals, driving the van, mentoring individuals, and more.

IMPACT

In 2005, 1,036 eligible homeless families representing 1,219 parents and 2,141 children requested housing and services at Nicholas House.
The 56 families, who were residents in 2005, comprised only 5% of the total number of eligible homeless families that requested our services.
In 2005, more than 27,000 nights of shelter, 50,000 meals and services to about 60 families representing 182 persons (53 parents and 128 children)
In 2006, through its new H2H program, Nicholas House added space for an additional 20 families- an 80% increase.
In 2006, Nicholas House provided housing and services to 72 families, representing 84 adults and 183 children, for a total of 267 people.
About two thirds of our residents are children under the age of 19.
Of the families, in 2005, that received housing and services at Nicholas House, 90% were African American, 95% were headed by a single mother. About 1/3 of these families have become homeless because they or their children have been victims of abuse.
Two-thirds of the families served by Nicholas House move on to stable housing and are able to manage their own finances and provide support for their children.
Since 1982, 1,200 families have called Nicholas House their home.

Nicholas House, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) non profit agency funded through private donations of individuals, foundations, corporations, inter-faith organizations, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Georgia, the City of Atlanta, Dekalb and Fulton counties, The Regional Commission on Homelessness and the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.