Jericho Project Launches New Families Initiative To Help the Neediest Homeless Parents and Children in New York

NEW YORK, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jericho Project, a nationally acclaimed nonprofit ending homelessness at its roots, today announced its new Families Initiative to create stability for New York's most vulnerable homeless families by providing affordable, stable apartments and success-oriented counseling.

Jericho Project Families Initiative is part of the Robin Hood Foundation's "Home to Stay" program for families experiencing homelessness.  A longtime partner to Robin Hood, Jericho was selected because its mission and track record are focused on reversing even the most intractable cases of homelessness, enabling thousands of individuals to attain jobs, reunite with their families and transform their lives.  

The Jericho Project Families Initiative will be officially launched at this evening's Jericho Project 2010 Gala "Celebrate Them Home" honoring the nation's veterans and offering inspiration to the city's homeless families.

"We believe that every child in this city deserves a home. That is why the Jericho Project Families Initiative will work with the parents to redirect the family's path towards long term stability," said Tori Lyon, Jericho Project Executive Director.  Jericho's family reunification therapy rewires dysfunctional family dynamics.  

"Jericho Project is the organization to enable a family to break out of chronic homelessness," said David Saltzman, Executive Director of the Robin Hood Foundation.  "Jericho's substance abuse and relapse prevention counseling has a proven track record in helping people maintain sobriety, which is key to self-sufficiency."

The Jericho Project Families Initiative will reach those families and children who climb out of homelessness only to fall back into the shelter system again. Jericho will provide comprehensive counseling to address the core causes of a family's homelessness, as well as stable housing, so that family members can make lasting improvements in their lives.  

"A well-functioning family creates the foundation for health and stability.  That is why we have made family reunification counseling a core part of our work since we began serving homeless individuals over 27 years ago," Lyon said.   

The Jericho Project Families Initiative will initially target 30 families as part of Robin Hood's "Home to Stay" pilot which includes a total of 120 families. Jericho will use its network of supportive landlords to provide suitable apartments in neighborhoods where families can feel safe and thrive.  Crucial to the program are Jericho's comprehensive and referral services that help tenants cope with the financial, vocational, educational, medical, and emotional challenges that may have overwhelmed them in the past.  

Jericho Project currently serves 300 men and women in five meticulously managed supportive housing residences and one scatter-site program. Jericho's Veterans Initiative is building two Residences in the Bronx to offer state-of-the-art counseling to 130 veterans within a green environment of wellness and community.  Jericho's Supportive Apartment Program is also fast-tracking veterans and their families into affordable, furnished apartments in the Bronx.

Even as it continues to grow, Jericho Project continues to produce cost-effective, measurable solutions. Jericho and its Board follow rigorous business practices so that its housing and extended services cost roughly $14,000 per person annually, about half of the $25,000 for a city shelter bed, and a fraction of the $67,000 for a city jail cell.

For more information, please see www.jerichoproject.org

SOURCE The Jericho Project