by Matthew Ramon
teamMADE Monthly Newsletter, April 2023
The house we are building will be permanently located after the competition with HIS-OC, a non profit organization that supports those with housing insecurity in Orange County. They have helped thousands of families and individuals since their founding in 1989.
The Homeless Intervention Services of Orange County (HIS-OC) first found its start in Placentia. It was in 1989, when members of the community’s Presbyterian Church opened the doors of a recently purchased farmhouse to a pregnant mother and her family who had been living at the local park. Seeing its success, the church formally established the home as a mission, naming it HIS House, and has continually run the program since.
Today, that original mission has evolved into the Transitional Housing Program, which offers 54 beds for homeless families as they work for financial independence. To further that end, the original farmhouse has also been expanded to include extra living space. Additionally, a four-to-six month program was designed to better assist recovering families. As part of the program, families are supported by a Case Manager who works with them to design a custom-tailored case plan that directly addresses the specific needs of the families, including mental health support, assistance with DMV records, family reunification, and others. When families have stabilized, a Housing Navigator supports them in finding the housing they need to prevent them from returning to homelessness. This has resulted in a 7% recidivism rate for graduating members, which is one of the lowest rates in the county, proving the effectiveness of the program. While thousands have been helped so far, in 2020, the organization established HomeShare OC and the CHESS Program as a response to the growing needs of the community.
While the Transitional Housing Program focuses on supporting families, the HomeShare OC Program was developed to support college students who are experiencing housing insecurity. HIS-OC decided that action was necessary after the UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools found that 1 in 5 community college students, 1 in 10 California State University students, and 1 in 20 University of California students experience homelessness during a year.
This map of California highlights the 10 counties with the highest counts of homeless college students. “Interactive County Map of CA Students Experiencing Homelessness” UCLA Center for Transformation of Schools. https://transformschools.ucla.edu/state-of-crisis-interactive-map/
To deal with this issue, HIS-OC connects eligible students with over 55 homeowners in Orange County who are willing to “homeshare”. Students who are part of the program are also given access to free mentoring and other services provided by HIS-OC. Additionally, the program is also designed to benefit elderly homeowners, allowing them an additional source of income and a way to stave off loneliness and social isolation with the addition of a roommate. Through this, HIS-OC hopes that this program will serve to break down generational and cultural divides, while tackling their core mission of supporting people as they overcome homelessness.
In a similar vein, the CHESS Program was developed to support homeless or at-risk college-age (18-24) men, who are pursuing an education. What further differentiates the Combined Housing, Education, and Skills for Students (CHESS) program from HomeShare OC is that CHESS was designed to provide more comprehensive guidance. For example, students all live together in a single household, similar to a college dormitory. Here, a team of resident advisors (RAs) and case managers work to provide mentoring, job training, placement and paperwork, as well as physical and mental health support. Ultimately, the goal for members is to graduate from the program with improved academic success, healthier behavior, internal strengths, and improved access to housing options and job opportunities. With several members working towards or having obtained their high school diplomas, 50% with jobs, and a couple joining the military, the program is already finding great success.
With three decades of experience under their belt, HIS-OC has been an integral part of the agencies working to help the homeless population in North Orange County. With years of experience, it’s little wonder that these programs have proven to be so effective. So, where do we fit in?
Ever since our inception, teamMADE has focused on making an ADU that was not only sustainable, but also worked towards providing homes for lower-income residents and the homeless of Orange County. With that in mind, being able to work with HIS-OC and create an ADU to fit into the backyard of the CHESS Program home has been a dream come true. We hope that our ADU will continue to provide comfort to the members of the CHESS Program and be a welcome addition to the HIS-OC lineup.
Want to learn more about HIS-OC? Visit them at https://his-oc.org/