An IHN Shelter Story

Sarah came to shelter last summer after several years of unstable housing. As a teen mother, she had lived with her grandmother. She moved into subsidized housing for a year, but did not understand the paperwork required for re-certification and lost this housing. She and her two preschool-aged children lived with various friends and family members. Twice, they moved into apartments, but with little income and other challenges, Sarah was unable to maintain housing. Within the first few weeks of shelter it became clear that Sarah had more to overcome than low income or a poor rental history. As with many of the parents we work with, there were also problems with custody, physical health and mental health. Working with her case manager, Sarah was able to get connected with the resources she needed. She was accepted into the W2 program. She met with a therapist. She received dental care and enrolled her children in preschool and day care. Eventually, Sarah was accepted into housing in the nearby rural community where her family lives and was able to use the skills she'd learned in shelter to transfer her own services to her new community. Sarah is continuing to work with a Road Home case manager through the Housing Stabilization Program in order to maintain her housing.