Page 14 - LTHC Publics Catalog, Spring 2018 Update

LTHC and COORDINATED ENTRY

Rationale for the LTHC Approach

Homelessness is usually associated with other factors; therefore, we want to use an intersectionality. Homelessness is
composed of a system perspective to analyze the work that Lafayette Transitional Housing Center (LTHC) is doing.
LTHC Development Director, Jennifer Shook, describes homelessness as a “system within itself” because she be-
lieves that factors causing the problem of homelessness are usually intertwined. In other words, people who expe-
rience homelessness may also have troubles with unemployment, mental and physical illness, addiction, etc. Catego-
rizing LTHC’s guests as “homeless” ignores the diversity by presenting people as a homogenous group. Therefore,
it is beneficial to use an intersectionality perspective when analyzing LTHC’s works. Intersectionality is the idea that
social identities, related systems of oppression, domination, or discrimination and multiple group identities, intersect
to create a whole that is different from the component identities. Using this framework in homelessness can provide
an insight into how multiple systems of social issues are interrelated and perpetuated. Rather than understanding
homelessness solely through the lens of the housing situation, it is necessary to consider other social factors, such
as class, ability, mental and physical health, and family so that we can have a comprehensive understanding of the
homelessness problem.

As a result, LTHC no longer uses the “one size fits all” model when helping with their guests because each home-
lessness case is unique and complex on its own. LTHC prefers to address guests’ issues by providing services that are
beyond housing arrangement.

For example, for guests who are out of jobs, LTHC has an employment specialist who connects guests with local
employers and prepares them for interviews and applying for Social Security benefits. If homelessness is due to pov-
erty, then the individual will have to make an impossible decision between paying for housing and paying for other
necessities, such as food. Without equal employment and reliable income, the individual is more vulnerable to repeat-
ed homelessness. In another case, for guests who suffer from a disability, LTHC provides permanent housing service
until these guests can function on their own. If the individual ended up on street because of mental illness, he or she
will continue to face the risk of losing housing until the mental illness has been properly addressed and treated. Re-
gardless, the idea that tackling one of the
causes can improve the overall homeless-
ness situation is at the center of LTHC’s
work.
In conclusion, LTHC’s operations are
more diverse than ever. From providing
a one-night sleep place to helping a guest
to earn a paycheck, LTHC helps their
guests by simultaneously addressing oth-
er correlated problems that have multi-
dimensional implications on the issue of
homelessness.

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