Case Study: Transitional Housing, Inc.

Transitional Housing, Inc.

Transitional Housing, Inc. (THI), is a local nonprofit organization located in Madison, Wisconsin. THI provides assistance to homeless and very low income individuals and families in finding emergency shelter, food, employment, transitional housing, and affordable apartment housing. These services are provided through four basic THI programs (see exhibit below for details):

1. The Drop-In Shelter: An emergency drop-in shelter for men located at Grace Episcopal Church.

2. The Hospitality House: A day shelter for homeless and very low income men and women.

3. The Transitional Housing Program: Provides transitional living arrangements for families and single men for six months or more depending on the needs of the individual/family and the unit.

4. The Housing Opportunity Program: Helps families in obtaining a lease.

As part of its planning, the board of directors of THI was interested in determining ways to improve the organization’s services. Their original thought was to conduct a survey of the organization’s paid staff, volunteers, and guests (the homeless staying at THI or using its facilities or services), to determine which programs of THI they found particularly useful, which should be revised, and what other programs or services might be of more assistance to guests.

However, the analysis of THI’s internal statistics and other published data indicated the need for THI to narrow its focus. Specifically, internal information indicated the number of agencies serving the male homeless population was decreasing, and the number of homeless families was increasing. Moreover, THI was currently the only Madison shelter that served the male homeless population, and this community appeared to be underserved. In fact, the number of homeless men staying at THI’s Drop-In Shelter had increased 89 percent, from 607 three years ago to 1,146 the past year. This was partly due to the closing of other Madison male shelters in the last three years. Finally, the THI shelter was filled beyond its capacity of 66 men per night. During the winter, there were frequently more than 90 men staying at the Drop-In Shelter on any given night, with many of them sleeping on the hallway floor.

Given this information, the board of directors decided to use the organization’s limited resources to focus first on the Drop-In Shelter. More specifically, the board asked for an evaluation of THI’s current facilities and the services for the homeless as well as a determination of what future services and facilities it should try to provide.

Questions

1. What is the decision problem? Is this decision problem discovery- or strategy-oriented?

2. What are some relevant research problems?

3. Discuss in general terms how you would address the board of directors’ concerns. Specifically, who would you obtain information from and how would you access these people?

EXHIBIT 1.B-1

Programs Offered by Transitional Housing, Inc.

Drop-In Shelter

Located at the Grace Episcopal Church in the downtown area, the Drop-In Shelter (DIS) is a 46-person-capacity emergency drop-in shelter for men. Overflow capacity for 20 additional people is provided at St. John’s Lutheran Church from October through April. The basic services provided at DIS are shelter, food, personal grooming supplies, and counseling. Medical and legal services are also provided once a week through volunteers. The shelter is open to all men who are not incapacitated by drugs or alcohol and agree to abide by the rules of DIS. Operating hours are from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. seven days per week, 365 days per year. Both dinner and breakfast are provided for DIS guests through the support of approximately 1,200 volunteers (churches, community groups, and other interested individuals) who offer their help to DIS.

Hospitality House

Hospitality House (HH), located on the near west side, is a day shelter and resource center for homeless and very low income men, women, and children. HH is generally regarded as a warm, safe place for the homeless to congregate, where services are provided but are not mandatory. The basic services provided at HH are: assistance with finding employment and housing, help for obtaining benefits from other social service agencies, and mental health services. Telephones are available for the guests’ use, and guests may also use HH as a mailing address while they are staying at DIS.

Transitional Housing Program

The Transitional Housing Program (THP) operates 15 traditional housing sites throughout Dane County. There are 20 family units and 39 single units. Residents of THP may stay in the units for a period of six months to “permanent,” depending on the unit and the needs of the individual or family. Services provided to the residents of the THP include: money management, employment counseling, case management, and referrals to agencies involved in providing services needed by the individual or family. DIS is often the first step in the process of single men involved in THP.

Housing Opportunity Program

The Housing Opportunity Program (HOP) is a service provided by THI that is designed to aid families in obtaining a lease in their own name and staying in the site on a permanent basis. THI leases apartments from area landlords and subleases the units to homeless families, whoa are referred to THI through area shelters. During this time, THI assumes responsibility for any unpaid rent or repairs that may accrue. Maintenance checks are performed monthly and outreach services are provided to families involved in the program.