Grantee Spotlight: Housing Plus Solutions

January 24, 2022
A masked woman with red hair holds a child in the air.
Through the Family Initiative pilot program, justice-involved women are able to secure transitional housing and reunite with their families after leaving Rikers.

Justice-involved and formerly incarcerated women face challenges in transitioning back to their communities after leaving jail and prison, with housing being a major obstacle. There are limited transitional and permanent supportive housing developments geared specifically for justice-involved and formerly incarcerated individuals, who often have unique needs. For these women to successfully reclaim their lives, the most effective reentry opportunities include gender-responsive therapeutic care and strong case management.

By providing access to community-based housing and comprehensive services, such as employment support and mental health therapy, Housing Plus Solutions enables women to reclaim their lives. Housing Plus Solutions is one of five peer providers that form Project SHERO. In addition, Housing Plus Solutions is developing its own programming through a pilot that addresses the needs of women who are rebuilding relationships with their children after leaving jail or prison. This programming includes services focused on childcare, parenting skills, and supervised visitation.

A masked woman with red hair holds a child in the air.

Through the Family Initiative pilot program, justice-involved women are able to secure transitional housing and reunite with their families after leaving Rikers.

In partnership with other members of Project SHERO and through support from Trinity, Housing Plus Solutions and its partners have added 49 transitional housing units for singles and 10 additional transitional supportive housing units for women and their families. More than 225 women have been diverted from Rikers Island into one of four housing sites while they receive needed public benefits, mental health services, and healthcare, and are helped to reconnect with their families and children. 24 women have transitioned from WCJP into permanent housing in family apartments at its newest building/program, Soleil House. WCJP recently added the services of a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner to better meet the immediate needs of women entering the program who present a need for a higher level of mental health or trauma-informed care services.