HOUSING PROGRAMS
Housing programs support at least 42 of the most vulnerable members of the homeless community through our permanent housing units throughout Alachua County every year.
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
Long-term, permanent housing with ongoing access to the services and case management needed to make sure a person stays housed once they’re off the streets. This is the appropriate intervention for the people with the highest vulnerability – whose physical, mental, or substance-related health problems make them the most likely to die on the street if they’re not helped immediately.
LIMITED ASSISTANCE
Available for individuals or families who do not require intensive support but still benefit from access to shelter and other services for a short period of time. Research shows that people on the low end of the vulnerability scale are likely to resolve their homelessness on their own when provided with limited assistance, including resources to help with employment, affordable housing, and a facility like GRACE where they can have a meal and a shower while they look for housing.
ASSESSMENTS
For decades, homeless agencies have provided services on a first-come, first-served basis. Those able to navigate a confusing social-service system, schedule, and travel to appointments, understand the requirements to qualify for various available programs, and keep their documents in a safe place received the lion’s share of available assistance. Those with the most pressing needs, however, had a much more difficult time accessing services.
In August 2016, GRACE became the first provider in North Central Florida to use the VI-SPDAT, a "supertool" that combines the Vulnerability Index and Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tools to help agencies achieve better outcomes in ending homelessness.
These tools help identify who should be recommended for housing and support interventions and are used in more than 100 communities. Based on a wide body of social science research and extensive field testing, the tools help service providers allocate resources in a logical, targeted, and equitable way.
We use both the VI-SPDAT and SPDAT to evaluate each guest at intake and identify the best way to help them through our different programs.
COMMUNITY CARE TEAM
The Community Care Team blends housing support and case management services to make sure that newly housed people have the tool and resources they need to keep their housing.
They meet regularly with people to make sure small problems don't become big ones, and they extend the support someone receives in the shelter to the first 12-18 months in housing.
