A Capital Investment in Affordable Transitional Housing with Lumina Alliance
$478,000
Converting one of Lumina Alliance's existing emergency shelters into affordable transitional housing that will support individuals and families who flee sexual assault or intimate partner violence. With 21 beds, the project will allow more survivors in the Northern San Luis Obispo region to access transitional housing and support services.
The Need
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. In one year, this equates to more than 10 million victims.
Transitional housing programs have proven more effective than emergency shelters, helping sexual assault and intimate partner violence survivors establish long-term goals and safe, stable housing. According to the US Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women, "Though emergency shelters can be a source of immediate short-term safety, transitional housing programs offer victims a housing option and supportive services . . . for up to 24 months. It is a safe, affordable option that empowers survivors to begin rebuilding their lives after fleeing abuse."
Lumina Alliance requires additional transitional housing units to meet the local demand.
- San Luis Obispo County has a pervasive barrier of unaffordable, inaccessible housing and lack of living wage jobs, which disproportionately affect sexual assault/intimate partner violence survivors and their decisions to flee abuse.
- Lumina Alliance has no long-term transitional housing available for survivors in SLO's North County.
- In the first quarter of 2024, Lumina Alliance's Transitional Housing Program rejected applications from 17 families consisting of 18 adults and 27 children due to a lack of capacity.
- The housing crisis requires more transitional housing to transition victims into safe, permanent housing. When transitional housing is available instead of emergency shelter services alone, more survivors exit into safe, permanent housing (65% compared to 47% in 2022-2023).
The Outcome
Additional transitional housing units will increase Lumina Alliance’s capacity to provide essential services to survivors and save the organization money.
- This project creates 21 beds among 5 additional transitional housing units: 2 one-bedroom units, 2 two-bedroom units, and 1 three-bedroom unit.
- The conversion from an emergency shelter to transitional housing will save the organization $60K in annual expenses, as the costs and hours necessary to manage an emergency shelter are higher than those of transitional housing units.
- During the 2022-2023 fiscal year, 39 clients, including 23 children, lived in Lumina Alliance’s ten existing transitional housing units. After converting the Paso Robles emergency shelter to transitional housing, we expect to house 21 additional individuals annually.
- Survivors may reside in Lumina Alliance’s transitional housing units for up to 12 months. Their prorated monthly rent is calculated as 30% of their income, and 10% of the rent paid is set aside in a savings account for them, making the transition to permanent housing easier and more accessible.
- All program participants can choose to participate in self-sufficiency planning with a Lumina Alliance Advocate. Advocates facilitate access to a full range of services, including a 24-hour crisis & information hotline, individual and group therapy sessions, legal service referrals, case management, skills training, and client financial assistance.
The Impact
Lumina Alliance's transitional housing program will impact survivors' long-term access to safe, affordable housing, self-sufficiency, and their ability to heal.
- Lumina Alliance utilizes empowerment- and evidence-based practices, including motivational interviewing and trauma-informed crisis therapy and intervention, to encourage survivors' development of independence and self-sufficiency.
- All programming honors survivors' agency and tailors services to individual needs to ensure equitable access and impact across the county.
- Lumina Alliance Advocates offer follow-up supportive services to clients for at least three months after they exit the program and secure permanent housing. Follow-up services may include self-sufficiency planning to adjust and achieve client-driven goals, tools to promote safety and housing stability, and connection to other community resources as they become established in their new home.