Program areas at My Sisters' Place
Affordable housing:1. Mary seymour Place apartments, located in hartford, provides single men or women affordable rental apartments. Tenants hold their own leases. Units are leased to low and moderate income tenants. There are 30 onebedroom apartments onsite,as well as voluntary case management and referral/advocacy programs available.2. The sue ann shay Place apartments consist of 34 affordable one, two and three bedroom rental apartments for women and their families located in hartford, ct. units are leased to low and moderate income tenants. Tenants hold their own leases. Voluntary case management and referral/advocacy programs are also available onsite.
Permanent supportive housing:permanent supportive housing (psh) integrates permanent, affordable rental housing throughout the hartford area with the best practice communitybased supportive services needed to help people who are homeless and/or have serious and longterm disabilities such as mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, physical disabilities, substance use disorders, and chronic health conditions access and maintain stable housing in the community.
Supportive housing programs:my Sisters' Place provides supportive housing for low income individuals and families who were formerly homeless and unable to hold their own lease. Through the mary seymour Place apartments and sue ann shay Place apartments, msp provides housing and support services for those who meet one or more of the following criteria: low income, living with a mental illness, and/or currently homeless.
Subsidized support programsmsp is a fiduciary agent managing custodial accounts on behalf of a variety of individuals in the community who are not yet in a position to manage their own finances. Clients include people exiting prison, mental health facilities or young adults who are leaving the child welfare system. Alternative to incarceration (a.i.c.) This program serves clients by providing rent subsidies,startup funds, furniture purchases, alternative housing options (such as hotels) and food. These men and women are department of mental health and addiction services (dmhas) clients, and are considered at risk of becoming homeless and require the time to gain access to benefits or employment in order to continue their independent lives in the community. Youth program children with histories of homelessness experience difficulties related to their time being homeless. More than 40% of those children exhibit serious emotional and behavioral problems. By age 8, more than 75% of those children have mental health concerns that affect their level of social/emotional and academic functioning. Children who are homeless are at increased risk of being homeless as adults. We focus our efforts on children in this program to help break the cycle of homelessness. This program is offered to all children, from birth to age eighteen enrolled in our permanent supportive housing programs, including those at sue ann shay and at scattered sites. The program provides case management services for both parent and child, provides advocacy at ppt school meetings, and provides school uniforms and shoes, book bags and supplies to all school aged children. Other services provided include after school tutoring, reading with therapy dogs, arts and crafts, gardening and cooking, imagination, and open play as well as educational field trips. Generally, the children who participate in the youth program -on-going improvement and progress for each participant in the tutoring and educational support programs. -a drastic reduction in behavioral related events in school and at home; -increased socialization and environmental adaptability for the children who attend socialization activities, therapeutic recreation activities and behavioral modification groups and activities. Housing coordination security deposit programs - msp operates a few different programs providing limited financial assistance such as security deposits, first month's rent, security deposit guarantees and sometimes small rental arrears to households who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Available funding varies and specifies what households may be served and what expenses can be covered. The hartford foundation for public giving, the hartford and the first congregational church of vernon have been long-time supporters of these programs. Last year, a total of 220 individuals were served through the rental assistance programs. Housing mobility program - assists 100 individuals and families with housing subsidies to move from areas of low opportunity (usually in cities) to areas of higher opportunity in the hartford region. High opportunity areas are those with better school systems, low crime rates, better transportation and better job opportunities. Staff provide tenant education, mobility counseling, and housing search assistance by meeting with potential clients, landlords, and program staff to match people with opportunities. To qualify, clients must have a section 8 or rap housing voucher along with at least one child 13 or younger living in the household. Last year, a total of 466 individuals were served through the housing mobility counseling program.