Affordable housing and supportive services to position homeless families for successful independent living.

Overview:

• COTS manages twelve shared transitional homes in Petaluma and Rohnert Park, where families can live for up to two years while paying program fees that are significantly lower than market rate rents.

• Supportive services include development and implementation of family action plan with professional case manager who meets regularly with families to track progress and problem-solve when obstacles to action plan goals arise.

• Parents receive mental health and chemical dependency assessment/treatment, help obtaining employment or public benefits, financial literacy training and housing search assistance.

• Children receive focused support from a “children’s outreach specialist” who assesses children during home visits and provides ongoing practical support to ensure children’s educational, social and other needs are met while parents focus on increasing family stability and preparing to move to independent housing.

• Two homes are designated Education Houses, where homeless parents enrolled in accredited vocational or professional programs receive specialized support.

• Families must participate in Residential Parenting Education that emphasizes well-being of the children as the compass for family decision-making.

• The Residential Parenting Environment approach integrates services of COTS’ Children’s Haven with COTS’ new parenting education program, Kids First.