MadisonHome announces transitional housing program

Apr. 17—MadisonHome, Inc. has been instrumental in transforming the lives of many individuals, yet Assistant Director Melissa Slone reports that the organization itself is also in the midst of a significant transformation.

Slone commended the successful season, attributing it to the invaluable support from volunteers, the City of Richmond, and the Richmond Police Department.

However, an unexpected challenge arose during the transition from the Room in the Inn model to accommodating homeless guests within the MadisonHome building on Fifth St.

The assistant director explained that this shift was a significant goal met; however, it was also a learning experience that altered the dynamics of their operations.

Slone explained, "This season posed some challenges because it was different than we have historically done. It was in our building and not in the churches. One of our biggest setbacks this past winter shelter was we didn't have enough volunteers to keep watch at night, so we ultimately had to pay people to do that."

Despite these obstacles, MadisonHome served 138 individuals during the winter shelter season from December 2023 to March 2024, providing 9,450 meals and covering utility expenses totaling $1,743. The organization also invested in improving guest amenities by acquiring new front-loading washers and dryers, with financial backing from the City of Richmond.

Transitioning forward

Following the conclusion of emergency shelter operations, MadisonHome is embarking on a new endeavor by initiating a transitional housing program, marking a significant milestone in their mission.

Ten individuals are currently partaking in a six-month trial of this program, designed to facilitate the transition from emergency shelter to permanent housing.

According to Slone, the transitional housing program is on trial as a 6-month program to help participants transition from emergency shelter to permanent housing.

"We're going to see how this six-month period goes," she said. "And then we'll reevaluate and see if this is something that is beneficial to our community and we can keep going with it."

Slone argues that Madison County needs this program due to the area's lack of affordable housing, which lends itself to increasing the risk of local homelessness. Additionally, she noted that people facing housing insecurity and poverty need to be appropriately referred for mental health services.

"It's hard to focus on all of these other things when you can't even take care of your mental health," she remarked.

She says that having the assistance and accountability of transitional living will keep people on track to live independently. Slone also asserts that this is a move toward giving more people dignified assistance and meeting basic human rights in the community.

"They're doing all the things that any normal citizen would do without primary worries, like where they will sleep and where they will get food, affecting their choices," Slone said.

She added, "Everybody deserves the right to have access to basic needs: shelter, food, clothing, and love. That's very important. When people come here, we want them to feel loved and and supported. Everybody deserves those basic needs met, no matter who you are. No matter what your situation is, no matter where you're sleeping, no matter how much money you have — everybody deserves that."

She and Executive Director Jamie Jordan explained that there is an application process to ensure participants are a good fit.

The screening process does include drug testing, however Jordan emphasized that a positive result does not automatically disqualify them. Participants are expected to actively seek employment or engage in volunteer work while responsibly managing their finances in preparation for independent living.

Of these requirements Slone remarked, "They're doing things in the community to be self-sustainable."

Slone explained that the goal of the program is for participants to save money, get IDs/documents in order, receive any needed healthcare/mental health support, and secure permanent housing within 6 months.

"This is transitional. We don't know if it's going to take them three months, six months, nine months — that transition for everybody is different," she said. "We are going to be aggressively helping them through that transitional phase as fast as we can so that they can get out here and live on their own and have their own roof over their head."

According to Slone, daily operations are overseen by participants and supervised by a dedicated program manager, who guides participants through various life skills, including household chores, budgeting, and vocational training. The success of the transitional housing program will be evaluated based on its efficacy in facilitating participants' transition to permanent housing.

So far, Slone reported that a couple of participants may be on track to receive permanent housing in the next couple of weeks.

What about the emergency shelter program in winter?

Despite these developments, MadisonHome remains committed to its core initiatives, including the provision of emergency shelter during the winter months.

Slone said, "We are still looking at doing emergency shelter. We just don't know how that's going to look."

MadisonHome will also still be hosting its lunch program five days a week in its back parking lot.

MadisonHome will supply more updates on Facebook as the year progresses.