During 2005, 379 Porter County households -- approximately 810 persons -- requested housing at Spring Valley Shelter for the Homeless. That reflects a 24 percent increase over 2004 in applications from families who have fallen into homelessness. Those applicant households included 349 children in the company of their parents. In 2005, Spring Valley Shelter admitted 52 of those households.

“I’ve been saying everywhere that 750-1,000 Porter County residents fall into homelessness each year. Based on the statistics, I’m going to have to up that number,” said Spring Valley Program Director Tom Isakson. “Now I can estimate the number at over 1,000 in order to account for those who don’t call us for shelter.” The average size of a household seeking admission is 2.1 people.”

The Shelter also experienced a record low average length of stay in 2005, helping it make the best use ever of the eight units of housing in its current facility. This increased efficiency is due to four factors.

“First, we built important partnerships with organizations providing longer-term housing for homeless persons. Working with agencies like Housing Opportunities and Porter-Starke Services has meant that an offer of “the next step” helps households move out of Shelter sooner.

“Second, the Case Management and Shelter Supervisor team has helped clients focus better on putting “first things first.” They have gotten better at teaching clients that every dollar and every day counts in moving into self-sufficiency. Clients hear consistently that they must not waste money or money if they want to move out into their own housing -- that choosing between the frivolous and their future. As a result they found jobs and saved more money faster during the average length of stay of around six weeks.

“Third, we set firm expectations, terminating cases who demonstrated unwillingness to work toward self-sufficiency. More than 50 percent of our clients exit the Shelter successfully into their own homes, but the others cannot be allowed to waste resources that could be given to others. There are only two reasons that determine a client ‘must go’: they have an apartment to move into or they’ve demonstrated they don’t want one.

“Even with terminated cases, the time at Spring Valley was not entirely a wasted resource. I have spoken to many clients who have been terminated and yet are grateful for the skills they learned there. Many of the exits we consider ‘failures,’ by the standard of moving out into self-sufficient housing, were successes in terms of skills and self-understanding gained.

“Finally, we had some really great clients. They worked really hard to achieve independent housing and to free up room for the next family. There were some really admirable people living at Spring Valley Shelter in 2005, some we’d all be honored to count among our friends.”

Spring Valley Shelter provided shelter, case management, counseling, and classes to households from half of Porter County’s townships. Center Township (Valparaiso) represented 39 percent of admissions; Portage Township (32 percent) and Westchester Township (9 percent). Pleasant, Porter and Union townships made up the remaining percentage of Porter County residents. Thirty applicant households were referrals from domestic violence shelters.

During 2005, Spring Valley Shelter was unable to house 327 Porter County households - 700 of the people - seeking shelter. In 2006, the number unserved should drop dramatically as the new facility on Calumet Ave. comes on line and will be able to house 28 households at a time.”

Posted 1/16/2006