Page 17 - LTHC Publics Catalog, Spring 2018 Update
P. 17

GUESTS









                                                             Guests’ Desired Improvements
                                                                             and Concerns at LTHC
           common area                                Based on their experiences, guests had suggestions for improve-


                 TV access                            ments at LTHC. Some of this feedback included making the facility

                                                      bigger and providing guests with television access in the common
                                                      areas (like the cafeteria). Other feedback included simply receiving
                                                      more help in terms of filling out Social Security and other forms
                                                      to help when guests are experiencing housing discrimination. Oth-
                                                      er members voiced that there can often be conflict of opinions
                                                      amongst guests of different age groups, attitudes, personalities, and
                                                      behaviors, which can create some tension at times as well, and ex-
      conflict resolution                             pressed a desire for an established way through LTHC to mediate

                                                      conflict. A few guests, when asked about improvements, simply re-
                   support                            sponded that things were going well so far and that there were not

                                                      many things they would advise to be changed.

                                                      A common suggestion from many guests dealt with the issue of
                                                      housing discrimination. Many of the guests have issues with the
                                                      landlords with which LTHC chooses to work, suggesting that there
                                                      is room for improvement in terms of working more closely with
                                                      both the guests and landlords to resolve this issue. When conduct-
                  landlord                            ing interviews, the guests voiced how many have been kicked out of

                                                      their housing because of the landlords themselves. They expressed
            relationships                             concerns they have with landlords cheating them and raising their

                                                      prices, which forces them back into homelessness.  These concerns
                                                      present a potential area of opportunity in terms of the case manag-
                                                      ers who may be working more directly with these landlords as well
                                                      as the guests themselves.


                                                      Many of the guests’ observations centered on family relationships
                                                      and the ways they impact and are impacted by time at LTHC. Sev-
                                                      eral of the interviewed guests came to LTHC with family mem-
       family dynamics                                bers. Guests debated with each other  about whether it is a good

                                                      idea  to  separate  children from their  parents.  Some  believe  that
                                                      young boy needs to stay close to his father for guidance, however
                                                      others frequently reported that putting adolescents together with
                                                      homeless men usually results in bad influence for the adolescents.
                                                      Some guests also reported that domestic violence can be an issue
                                                      at LTHC. While the guests who were interviewed did not come to
                                                      a consensus about the best ways to navigate family issues in LTHC,
                                                      the frequency with which such issues were discussed in the inter-
                                                      views points to the importance of such issues to this public.

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