PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

HOUSING
Nicholas House provides a safe transitional group home for families of any size or make-up to keep them in tact and off the street.  Many other shelters must separate couples, brothers/sisters, fathers/daughters and 12-year old boys from mothers.  To enter Nicholas House you must be homeless coming from the streets or an emergency shelter, have custody of children and be willing to address the root causes of your homelessness.  Last year 267 people, including 187 children, were sheltered in two group shelter locations with space for 12 families at each location. The average family stay is 11 months, but shelter is available for up to two years if needed, while defining and addressing the causes of homelessness through training in employment, money mangement, family skills and more.  A strong emphasis on accountability and personal progress is a condition for continued stay in the shelter with families reviewed and re-qualifying every 90 days.

HOMELESS TO HOMES (H2H)
Moving families quickly into their own apartments of their choice and out of a group shelter environment for greater indepence and accountability.  More than 20 families and nearly 100 people (69 children) are in this first-of-its-kind apartment-based program for homeless families.  Families pay 30% of their income toward rent with the remainder subsidized until they can take over complete payment of their rent with growing income. Case management and support services ensure progress on family goals, budgeting and needed life skills trainings.

ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Creating a new future by defining goals and providing the educational and training suport to make dreams a reality.  Each family establishes an Individual Service Plan and long-term goals are set.  Twice weekly evening courses offer 24 different topics to address areas such as interview skills, resume writing, budget management, debt reduction, computer use, parenting skills, stress management and other professional or life skills.  Regular meetings with a case manager ensure accountability toward achieving the plan, and continued progress toward goals is a requirement for continued program participation and housing.

YOUTH SERVICES
Breaking the cycle of poverty and homelessness for future generations while supporting a healthy family life today.  Two-thrids of the homeless people housed by Nicholas House are children. A comprehensive Youth Services effort adresses the unique educational, emotional, social and behavioral needs of homeless children providing after-school programming, a 9-week summer camp, evening activity hours and mentoring designed for age specific groups. The focus is on establishing educational and life-long personal skills that will create a healthy, productive and self-sufficient adult.

AFTERCARE
In a unique effort, Nicholas House follows families after they leave its program for up to two years in order to maintain contact, assess long-term sucess, ensure full transition to self-sufficiency and ensure no unforeseen problems create a relapse to homelessness.  More than 40 families are currently in our Aftercare Program.  Research shows that two years after leaving Nicholas House, nearly 70% of families continue to earn a living wage, maintain their own housing and have a healthy family environment -- a high succes rate compared to other averages.  Plus, many homeless programs do not continue such future contact with participants.

THE NICHOLAS HOUSE DIFFERENCE

• 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.