August featured program: Independence Place
One of Lund’s key family support programs, Independence Place (IP) is a seven apartment transitional housing program for pregnant or parenting women and their children. It is a staff supervised program providing parenting support, assistance with independent living and a vibrant, supportive community of peers for young moms.
The goals of the program are:
- To provide safe, stable transitional housing to at-risk women and their children for up to two years.
- To promote emotional and physical well-being and career readiness through coordination of services to help women achieve economic self~sufficiency.
- To help foster the independent living skills of women so they will be able to live successfully on their own.
- To provide an environment that will help women foster positive parenting skills.
- To help at-risk mothers and their children live productively, have healthy relationships and fully participate in their community.
Many of the moms living at IP are also connected to one or more of Lund’s other family support programs such as Reach Up, Workforce Development, high school completion, early childhood care and parenting education. Many moms move into the program from our residential program after completing a treatment program for substance use disorder and/or mental health challenges. IP provides a supportive environment for young moms in recovery.
Independence Place represents the next step towards independent, self sufficient living. The program helps moms towards this goal by promoting responsible community living through house rules, monthly community meetings and passing apartment inspections to ensure a safe and healthy environment for their children.
The average stay at IP is 18 months. Upon completion of the program, women are eligible for a Section 8 Voucher from Burlington Housing Authority allowing them to secure safe, affordable, permanent housing in their community of choice.
Last year at Independence Place:
- 100% of tenants reported increased social connectedness at discharge.
- 100% of tenants reported increased parenting skills at discharge.
- 100% of tenants reported an increase their use of positive coping skills at discharge.
- 100% of tenants demonstrated increased self-sufficiency at discharge.
- Of the program participants who were employed 83% earned income high enough to transition from Reach Up assistance to the Reach Ahead program which helps parents to maintain employment.
- 100% of tenants who successfully completed the program received a section 8 voucher from Burlington Housing Authority upon discharge, allowing them to secure safe, affordable, permanent housing in their community of choice.
