Last year, Matt Talbot Kitchen & Outreach (mtko.org) assisted 174 people through their housing program, as well as offered 6,500 instances of case management. They use housing-first, evidence-based best practices for securing safe and stable housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. This approach moves the community closer to their collective and compassionate goal of ending chronic homelessness.
The road to housing can be long; however, Matt Talbot’s housing team assists guests throughout the process. First, a housing assessment must be completed to be placed on the city-wide housing list. This list gives priority to those with the highest vulnerability, service needs and length of assessment. Individuals have to then wait for a spot in a housing program to become available, which can take weeks, months or even years due to limited resources. Once approved, the individual works with a case manager to find safe and affordable housing!
While moving into a new home is an exciting time, costs add up quickly. When an individual becomes housed, they often don’t have the essential items needed to start this next chapter in their lives. The second level of their newly-built garage is a dedicated area for housing program participants to choose items they need, providing a sense of empowerment and dignity – two of Matt Talbot’s values.
Learn more about how you can provide necessary items for guests moving into a new home at mtko.org/you_can_help.
Learn more about Matt Talbot at mtko.org.