Volunteers Of America in Lake Charles, LA

Housing Programs
Through Volunteers of America's Housing First and Rural Supportive Housing Programs, individuals and families receive assistance in obtaining safe, decent, affordable, and permanent housing. Secondly, individuals and/or families are linked with supportive services found in their communities. Volunteers of America helps the participants determine what housing and support services they need in order to increase the quality of their life.
The Housing First program replaced Volunteers of America's Family Emergency Shelter, which had been a staple in the community since 1921. Recent studies show that individuals living within a community setting often took longer to recover financially to move into a permanent setting. Housing First and Rural Supportive Housing transition families into rental homes or apartments. The programs help families get back on their feet.
Support services are provided on-site and housing is permanent; therefore, participants will not have to move once they have become established. Participants work towards three goals throughout the program: maintain permanent housing, increase skills and/or income, and achieve greater self-determination. Once the participant is able to pay the rent on their own, they will graduate from the program by taking over the lease, which is the goal.