Housing Services
Last year, ForKids served 1,588 families, consisting of 3,676 individuals, in our housing stability programs.
Our Process
Families are first assessed through our Housing Crisis Hotline and then referred to shelter and housing services through an evolving coordinated assessment process that involves multiple cities. ForKids is scrupulous about meeting the requirements of our government funders (45% of our budget), yet we believe we are ultimately responsible to our families and the community. Our community contributions (46% of our budget) allow us to be courageous in meeting those responsibilities when funds might not otherwise be available.
MORE THAN HOUSING
Experience has taught us that simply housing our families is not enough; we must address the root causes of their homelessness in order to affect lasting change through targeted services
Homelessness is a complex and multifaceted issue. To address the individualized needs of the families in our programs, ForKids offers a comprehensive model of assistance.
Housing focused case management
Life skills training
Job coaching
Mental health services
Children's education programming
Good Mojo in-kind distribution
Bet you didn't know...
53%
of families in our shelter have at least one child under the age of 3
A family at ForKids receives on average
252 days
of service, entering our emergency shelter program and moving through our rapid re-housing program to obtain permanent housing in the community.
What housing services do we offer?
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Emergency Shelter
The Regional Emergency Shelter Program provides families in need with the resources they need to recover from homelessness, stabilize their lives, move into a home and begin their journey toward self-sufficiency. Sokol Place at The Landmark Center offers shelter and critical services to families experiencing homelessness while they work to obtain permanent housing. In other widespread geographic areas such as Western Tidewater, a voucher for a stay at a local hotel is combined with critical services to assist families, keeping them within their community of support, closest to schools, jobs, family and caring friends.
ForKids’ emergency shelter programs provided shelter to 133 families facing homelessness last year.
Rapid Rehousing
Families in these programs are placed in housing as quickly as possible using rental assistance funded through various local, state and federal programs. ForKids uses a “Critical Time Intervention” model to stabilize families within the community over a period of approximately nine months.
Our rapid re-housing programs worked with 213 families throughout Greater Hampton Roads last year.
Supportive Housing
Families with a disability that prevent them from remaining stable without support services are placed in our permanent supportive housing. These families can stay in permanent supportive housing until the family stabilizes and can access other affordable housing opportunities.
ForKids provided supportive housing to 38 families last year.
Support for Veteran Families
ForKids serves veterans living in Norfolk through federally-funded homeless prevention and rapid re-housing programs. These services include case management, housing placement, emergency and rental assistance.
34 veterans and their families received assistance from ForKids in FY20.