Table 1.
Community-based shelters and transitional housing facilities, population served, services offered and average length of stay
| Community-based research site | Overview of guests’ demographics | Services offered | Average length of stay (days) | Persons served/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorothy Day Center (DDC) | The DDC is run by the umbrella organization Catholic Charities of Minnesota. The population that uses DDC is mostly male and mostly single; 15 % of the guests are over 55 years of age. | Emergency shelter, space for 250 | 90 | 2688/2014 |
| Transitional housing, 42-bed women’s shelter | ||||
| Meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) | ||||
| Food shelf | ||||
| Medical and mental health care | ||||
| Housing and employment advocacy | ||||
| Counseling support | ||||
| Laundry and bathroom/shower facilities | ||||
| Computer laboratory | ||||
| Our Savior’s Shelter (OSS) | OSS offers faith-based activities and other services. In the emergency shelter program, 85 % of the individuals are male, 46 % are African American and 88 % have a high school diploma or graduate equivalency degree (GED) or more. In the transitional housing program, there are 15 men, 16 women and 9 children. | Emergency shelter, 40 beds per night | 34 | 650/2013 |
| Transitional housing, 40 men, women and children | ||||
| Two meals daily (lunch, dinner) | ||||
| Bathroom/shower facilities | ||||
| Case management services | ||||
| Permanent supportive housing services | ||||
| Union Gospel Mission | The Union Gospel Mission site is a faith-based site that concurrently runs a short-term emergency relief program alongside a transitional housing program and an intense alcohol and drug treatment facility. | Emergency shelter, space for 120 persons | 32 | 2015 |
| Transitional housing, 145 rooms | ||||
| Alcohol drug treatment center, 75 men | ||||
| 24-h service desk | ||||
| Intensive treatment programs | ||||
| Bible study and work therapy | ||||
| Large-group service | ||||
| Health care/dental services | ||||
| Clothing giveaway | ||||
| Spanish interpreters | ||||
| People Serving People (PSP) | PSP is a short-term transitional housing center that is geared to helping families find housing. The program’s stated goal is to help children by giving them direct care or by assisting their parents to gain the skills that will keep their families off the streets. The program serves women and children. About 60 % of those PSP serves are under 18 years of age, and 32 % of the total population is under age 5 years. | Three meals daily | 39 | 1,286/2013 |
| Medical clinic open 5 days/week | ||||
| Mental health and chemical dependency services, employment assistance, literacy, early childhood development and legal aid programs | ||||
| Guest access to voice mail, e-mail and in-house library | ||||
| 24-h front desk service supplying diapers, formula, warm clothing and other basic needs | ||||
| Training programs in life skills, culinary arts, facilities training and workforce development | ||||
| Counseling services | ||||
| Family advocates to ensure families get connected with the resources and services they need |