Our mission is to break the cycle of poverty, marginal existence, eviction and to support the transitions from homelessness to permanent housing, from joblessness to stable employment, from dependency to self-sufficiency. The IOH programs are designed to help families achieve and maintain permanent housing through economic and emotional stability.

Over the past three years, 90% of our families “graduated” meaning they stayed together as a family, they found jobs earning sufficient income to support their move to independent housing, and they are committed to keeping their children in school. This success rate over earlier years, parallels the increase in average length of stay, and shows that a longer, more comprehensive program is more effective. This is reinforced by the fact that the average family enters with substandard employment and nearly doubles, sometimes triples, their income while they are with us.

Mandatory budgeting and monthly savings are significant in each family’s recovery. As their income grows, so does the savings requirement. Typically, families save between $5,000 and $10,000 during their stay at IOH. With a portion of their savings, families do extensive debt repair. The balance is used to transition to permanent housing. 24 families have been approved for home loans and were able to buy their first  homes.

To date, several hundred families have lived at IOH. The sense of self-confidence and self-esteem developed from their time in residence at IOH is critical to each family’s long-term success.