Interim Housing Community

Last year, the LPCS provided safe, structured interim housing and two nutritious meals per day to over 260 guests. The Interim Housing Community serves up to 35 guests each night year-round - 24 men and 11 women. In addition to meals and safe living space, the Interim Housing Community provides storage space, showers, and laundry facilities for guests. The average length of stay is three months, although there is no time limit as long as guests are making progress toward their goals. Referral Info...

On Track Program

All guests of the Interim Housing Community are also enrolled in the On Track Program. The On Track Program challenges guests to address the reasons for homelessness and barriers to self-sufficiency by setting general guidelines along each Track. The On Track Program allows guests to see beyond the present and beyond immediate, basic needs to planning for the future, one in which the cycle of homelessness is broken.

Designed to address individual needs, each guest selects from the following Tracks, which indicate the primary goals a person will be working on while a guest of the LPCS. Many guests choose more than one Track.

Track 1: Substance Abuse Recovery
Track 2: Mental & Physical Health
Track 3: Job Training & Employment

The goal of each guest is to return to self-sufficiency through improved social functioning and independent living. Each Track has measurable outcomes, and includes assessment, goal-setting, referrals, educational groups tailored to each Track, advocacy and follow-up for each guest.

The On Track Program offers many services to help achieve these goals:

-- Intensive Case Management provides referrals to job training, substance abuse treatment, and
mental health services.
-- Daily group activities, support groups, and classes, providing educational and personal enhancement opportunities to guests. Group activities promote a healthy community, and include daily educational and support groups on topics including job search, healthy lifestyles, and daily living skills enhancement, individual tutoring
-- Medical and mental health evaluations, and referrals to treatment as needed.|
--The opportunitiy to give back to the larger community through volunteer service: Guests in Volunteer Experience (GIVE).
-- Savings Program, in which each guest must save at least 50% of all income.
-- Technical Services that aid guests in job search, including use of mailing address, computers, telephone, and fax machines.

Community Engagement Program

The LPCS provides a valuable service in the Lincoln Park community as a referral source for those in need. Neighborhood churches, hospitals, and police direct people in need of assistance to the LPCS for temporary housing and other services. The LPCS provides social services to over 300 people yearly in addition to those enrolled in the Interim Housing and On Track Programs. These may be former guests of the LPCS, those on the waiting list for Interim Housing, or those struggling to stay in housing. The Community Engagement Program provides basic services such as showers, laundry, clothing, and toiletries at a satellite location on the weekends, and provides appointments during the week for individuals to receive more in-depth social services such as case management and referrals to shelter and housing, and registration for the LPCS' Interim Housing Community. Referral Info...

One on One Program

Created in 2000 and administered by members St. Vincent de Paul Parish, the LPCS adopted the One on One Program in February 2005. The One on One Program provides direct financial assistance to people moving out of homelessness and into permanent housing by partially supporting a security deposit or rent payment. The goal of the One on One Program is to help qualified, motivated homeless applicants to obtain semi- or permanent housing. Participation in the One on One Program is open to LPCS guests and clients from other transitional shelters, and includes attendance at a series of classes aimed at building life skills such as decision-making and budgeting. After completing the classes, a participant is eligible to apply for the housing grant once they have obtained steady employment and identified affordable housing. Referral Info...

Graduate Community

Guests of the LPCS who have secured permanent housing have access to continued services, including meals, rental assistance, access to donated items, case management and referrals, and the continued guidance and support of the LPCS community of staff, volunteers, and guests. Bi-monthly, graduates gather to prepare and serve dinner to current guests. Graduates are also invited to participate in weekly and monthly activities at the LPCS, including educational and support groups, and social activities.