Stability-Safety-Security Ciara Finds It All

Ciara and her daughter stand in front of their new residence.

According to the 2011 Point in Time Count, over 630,000 individuals are homeless on any given night. Each year, agencies that serve the homeless population strive to improve the services offered to each person and family who experiences homelessness. To meet its local need, Lawrence County Community Action Partnership (LCCAP) (http://www.lccap.org/) of New Castle, PA has developed an array of services meant to meet the immediate and long-term needs of homeless households.

Through its Emergency and Community Services Department, LCCAP assists homeless households using HUD Supportive Housing program (SHP) funds. Under SHP, households may receive rental assistance and/or comprehensive supportive services. Ciara is one of 93 clients benefiting from LCCAP's HUD-funded Transitional Housing program (http://www.lccap.org/?q=node/28) called TEAM.

Due to an unstable housing situation in Florida, Ciara headed to Lawrence County in November of 2011. Without permanent housing and only cash assistance for income, Ciara's only option was to stay at a local emergency shelter until she could increase her income and find stable housing.

Not long after her arrival, Ciara was accepted into LCCAP's TEAM program. TEAM affords homeless families up to 24 months of housing in which they pay 30% of their income towards rent. Through TEAM, Ciara was able to select her own housing. Once selected, LCCAP conducted several inspections to insure the home's safety, executed a lease for the property and a sub-lease with Ciara, and assisted Ciara in securing her utilities and other items needed for her home.

Ciara wisely chose a home that had been serviced through a HUD-funded Lead-based Paint Hazard Control program grant administered by LCCAP's Healthy Homes Department. By choosing wisely, Ciara was able to know with certainty that her home would not only be affordable, but also safe and a healthy home.

During the last three months, Ciara completed Phase I of LCCAP's Economic Advancement program, attended GED courses at the PA Career Link and is working with LCCAP's Workforce Development Department to register for GED testing in February. In just 3 months, Ciara and her daughter went from being homeless to thriving in safe and stable housing. She feels very fortunate to have been provided the opportunity and is excited for what the future holds. Ciara's success in the TEAM program is only the beginning. We wish her well!

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