Homes for Families

Homes for Families' primary mission is to build resiliency, economic growth, neighborhoods and Homes for veteran Families. Homes 4 Families' focus is providing the veteran enriched neighborhoods(r) model which offers (1) an innovative and proven-effective array of wrap-around services that are predictive of moving military Families up the economic ladder; (2) affordable, full-equity homeownership; (3) veteran specific communities, leveraging the existing -peer-to-peer support among military Families. Veteran enriched neighborhoods serve all age groups, and 1) address the need for affordable housing by providing high-quality, affordable, full-equity homeownership opportunities in a neighborhood setting which leverages inherent veteran-to-veteran support, 2) provide services designed to empower, heal, increase the income of, and teach self-sufficiency to veterans and their Families, and 3) provide military-specific services to the entire family, and build Homes and neighborhoods with the unique needs of veterans in mind. The organization serves veterans and military Families between 40-99 percent of the United States department of housing and urban development (hud) area median income. These individuals often do not have the resources to purchase, maintain, repair, or modify their home to accommodate any disabilities, leading to undue stress, financial hardship, and a rise in the homeless veteran population. The organization is unique because its veteran homeowners receive their Homes at a reduced price (subsidized by grants and sponsorship); veteran homeowners generally make a $100 down payment (1% in the city of Los Angeles where required); are provided with a below-market-rate mortgage regardless of credit score and additional purchase assistance at zero percent interest; and pay no more than 35 percent of their monthly income towards housing costs (including principal, taxes, insurance and homeowners' association dues). The services provided to the organization's veterans and military Families include: trauma-informed military enrichment: the organization's my time program stands for my trauma-informed military enrichment which developed military-specific programming to address the needs of veterans and family members who have experienced trauma. My time workshops are veteran-to-veteran and in group settings, so veterans connect even before moving into their Homes. Programs for military spouses and children are likewise offered in group settings. Activities include art, writing, and music workshops, gardening, and equine therapy. Because the organization believes family communication and bonding is extremely important in a military family's healing and reintegration process, many opportunities are offered for Families to participate in my time activities together. Trauma-informed art: all of our trauma-informed art workshops are focused on process not product. The organization developed trauma-informed art programs specifically for the needs and experiences of veterans, their spouses, and children. These peer-to-peer workshops are designed to help participants face, overcome, and manage the invisible wounds of war and struggles that come with the military experience. The weekly workshops deal with topics such as grief, loss, anger, isolation, fear, and more. Self-sufficiency training: the organization doesn't just build houses and hand over the keys - it believes that in order for military Families to reintegrate, thrive, and move up into the middle class, housing must include a supportive environment that provides life-skills training and encourages self-sufficiency. This is why the Families receive financial literacy training, first time homebuyer education, home maintenance courses, and career-building and leadership opportunities such as the veteran mentorship program in which established community veterans come together with the young Families to offer them guidance in employment, community resources, and reintegration. Veteran employment and leadership training: the organization's employment and leadership training programs offer resume writing assistance, veteran mentorship, guidance on starting a business, public speaking opportunities, and more. The organization not only focuses on job retention and growth, but also encourages the veteran and military children to further their education. Female veteran programs: the organization's trauma-informed programs are developed for either veterans or military spouses and provide female veteran-specific programming to address issues such as military sexual trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder. Services for military children: the organization offers a variety of programs for military children which include: trauma-informed art workshops, educational materials, leadership building opportunities, art and music education, child development workshops for parents, peer-to-peer groups, and opportunities for family bonding time. Services for military Families: there are many ways that Families and family dynamics can be affected by military service and change based on whether the service member is deployed, active-duty, on leave, or separated/retired. Even young military children who may not understand the concepts of military service are affected and their parents' own reactions affect these changing dynamics. The stress on family interaction is further exacerbated by pervasive rates of trauma and other mental health conditions among military personnel. The organization provides many different types of workshops for Families to spend time together, talk about their feelings, and have partnerships for them to receive clinical help or professional counseling. Wellbeing and home modifications: the organization's housing model is unique and has many contributing factors to make homeownership affordable, the veteran homebuyers self-sufficient, and the program sustainable. Homes include important veteran-specific well-building modifications that are key to well-being, for example, individualized master bath accommodations, open floorplans, and sound attenuation for Ptsd. The organization's background is in model development. It is part of the organization's goal to prove that a program works through research so that it is replicable in a variety of circumstances, types of housing, and populations. The organization has government relations background to reach out to cities, counties, and the state to find land that is in need of community development. The organization also researches the places that are most popular to veterans and where there are large populations and systems of support for veterans using asset mapping and other urban planning practices. These are key to creating affordable housing for veterans in a community of growth and potential. Measurable results: the organization uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative measures to assess the impact of its programs. Data collection and analysis is a critical component of the enriched neighborhood model to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. These measures track job retention, improvements in credit scores and finances, high school and college attendance/graduation rates, and the adults' capacity to cope with trauma in comparison with their abilities prior to moving into the home. The organization utilizes a survey tool that was created by the urban planning department of California state university, northridge and has been conducted for over a decade. Most of the veterans move into the veteran enriched neighborhoods from substandard temporary living conditions including: cramped apartments, family and friends' Homes, and overpriced rentals that leave them economically unstable. In the first year that Families move in, they have a safe place for their children to play, will have already been through enrichment services and built their Homes alongside their neighbors, and will have completed mandatory financial literacy training on their way towards managing debt, improving credit, and living within a budget.