Award-winning, non-profit organization Su Casa is implementing the first “Housing First” program of its kind in Long Beach, geared toward finding stable housing for victims of domestic violence.
Since 2016, Governor Jerry Brown has established California as a “Housing First” state, meaning it implements the use of the housing first model for victims of domestic violence.
The model includes two main factors that separate it from other shelter programs: prioritizing stable housing first and foremost, and providing flexible financial assistance to provide the best possible outcome for victims.
In Long Beach, stable housing is an issue that is critical for the successful rehabilitation of domestic violence survivors, according to those that work closely with victims at the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach.
Alexis Sandoval, outreach coordinator for the Women’s Shelter of Long Beach, and Mary Ellen Mitchell, the WSLB executive director, spoke about the issue of homelessness during interviews on March 16.
Sandoval said, “Homelessness doesn’t have to mean literally without a home. Victims can be homeless if they’re bouncing around from couch to couch, or friend to friend, and have an unstable living condition.”
Homelessness is an issue that puts victims at risk of continuing the cycle of abuse, and has many complex issues that need to be addressed, according to Sandoval.
“There is a disparity in options for stable housing, and transitional housing has even less options” said Sandoval.
Mitchell said, “I think it takes more than just one year for transitional housing sometimes, in order to get a person stabilized and ready to move on. It might take less for some who have their degrees, but at WSLB we’re dealing with people below poverty.”
Language barriers, lack of service animals and pet accomodation, and discrimination against those that come from a domestic violence shelter applying for housing, cause housing to become a life and death situation, according to Sandoval.
“Someone can ask themselves, do I want to be homeless, or stay in this environment and risk my and my children’s lives?” Sandoval said.
Su Casa’s director of development and community outreach, Dean Lockwood, and the housing first program manager April Hunter, talked about how to tackle the issue of homelessness, and the success of the new housing first program since it began in July 2019, during an interview on March 9.
“The housing first model originally was implemented in Washington State, and it was fairly successful, so seeing that we wanted to bring it here,” said Hunter.
The program is beneficial here in Los Angeles because unlike other homeless shelter programs, housing first does not utilize a database system that compromises the safety of domestic abuse victims, according to Hunter.
“Homeless shelter programs don’t ensure confidentiality. Women with children can’t shuffle around from shelter to shelter, and this situation is even more bleak for women without children who don’t qualify for assistance,” said Hunter.
The housing first program is a change to how women traditionally receive shelter and financial assistance, and has now received funding and support at Su Casa.
“Last year, we received funding for permanent assistance that’s used to help maintain housing and help those in immediate risk of losing their home,” Hunter said.
The housing first program ensures that those who already have an income, and who have the ability to sustain that income and therefore housing, are able to benefit from the program in order to “help as many families as possible,” Lockwood said.
“We received government funding, with roughly 80 percent grants, and private donations making the other 20 percent of funding. The grant should be available to us for at least the next three years, after that we have to recertify,” Lockwood said, ensuring confidence in the longevity of the program for the victims it is currently helping.
Hunter and those that coordinate the housing first program build relationships with landlords and homeowners to develop a strong partnership with the program.
The housing first program also utilizes financial assistance that is unique, and “given on a case by case basis. We discuss rental assistance for the first month, and possible tiered payments after that,” Hunter said.
Assistance also includes other items such as furnishings, refrigerators, stoves and other household appliances donated to Su Casa.
Various agencies in Los Angeles, such as Casper mattresses, and the Women Empowered through Labors of Love furnishings program in Whittier, all donate to support the housing first program, according to Lockwood.
“Sometimes the difference between someone keeping their job or not is having a mattress to sleep and rest on,” said Lockwood.
Besides using the housing first program to help a victim “get as stable as possible, as quickly as possible,” the program also provides assistance that is flexible and essential for the well-being of a victim, no matter their background and income, said Hunter.
Hunter recalled the story of one immigrant woman who benefited immensely from the program at Su Casa.
“The woman was an undocumented immigrant from India, and she didn’t have her green card yet. Her partner owned a business, and drained her of her resources, and bought multiple mortgages in her name which all defaulted,” Hunter said.
“With Su Casa, she was able to have her rent covered so she could pay for legal expenses, got her green card, and went to India to prosecute her husband and save her from financial ruin.
“Her husband actually told her that he never thought she would have the strength to do all that on her own, or have the resources to pursue any legal action.”
But she did. With Su Casa’s housing first program, “26 families have been assisted since July 2019 with needs all over the place,” Hunter said.
Su Casa also offers a variety of other resources such as counseling services led by therapist interns, legal services referrals to cross a multitude of barriers, such as immigration status, savings plans and secure shelters among others.
Hunter said, “The purpose of the programs is about empowerment through counseling and life-skills, to be able to help victims manage things better, get grounded, and work towards a goal.”
The goal for Su Casa, said Hunter, is to “build out supportive services, and have funding to go throughout California and increase services accessibility to everyone.”
Lockwood said, “We’ve been lucky to be able to fit local needs, and to have April’s expertise in housing and domestic violence.”
Hunter said, “The housing first program takes domestic violence out of this low-income box. It affects everybody. I have women with master’s degrees who still need a little push. Litigation and financial abuse, cyberstalking, domestic violence isn’t what people think it is anymore.”
Providing safe shelters that utilize strict security according to Lockwood, being one of the first programs to utilize housing first, and providing immediate and outstanding care and assistance for victims of domestic violence all help to build Su Casa’s reputation.
“Reputation is everything, if you’re not providing that safety, you’re not providing service,” said Lockwood.
Sandoval and Miller said they were both happy that Su Casa has the funding and capabilities to continue their fight against homelessness, and the healing of domestic abuse victims can start with housing first.