If you’re thinking about a place to stay for a family experiencing homelessness, what kind of place would come to mind? Maybe a shelter, or a place with just a mattress on the floor? At Vision House, our transitional housing and surrounding programs provide families with a transformational experience and a chance to rebuild their lives with dignity.

Imagine sleeping in your car, experiencing the insecurities of what that entails, and then moving into a fully furnished, safe, warm apartment with your family.  This safety and comfort is what is provided to each resident who calls Vision House “home.” Everything is provided that we who have stable housing would expect…a table, a place to relax with family, a place to cook and keep fresh food, and a bathroom of their own and a place to do laundry."

Take a virtual tour of an apartment at Vision House

This tour video is an example of one of the Vision House units.  Across all campuses, we have 55 units, and each one is set up differently to accommodate families and their unique needs.

“This [family services program] is possible here at Vision House Shoreline, because our community has come together, seen the families in our community who are living without homes, and has risen up together and said, “You matter. You should not have to sleep outside, in your car, or couch surf. You deserve to have a home.” –Derek Sciba, Executive Director, Vision House

Vision House’s philosophy of bringing dignity and care back to families is visible in these apartments. Special touches are provided when a family moves in, like a Paw Patrol bath time kit, and a fuzzy blanket for kids to cozy up under.  They now have a bathroom to use that’s beautiful and safe rather than having to rely on public facilities to stay clean.

Families in Vision House’s transitional housing program might go from sleeping in a car, to now sleeping in a bed, and having blinds and a window to open. They have peace of mind that they are safe and can relax without the worry of whatever danger might lurk right outside.

“Imagine your kids being able to move out of the backseat of a car and into a room like this that is lovingly set up, often by volunteers from our community, and is a place for kids to be able to be kids. Imagine a child playing in this room when they have not had a place to play and relax and be a kid in the past.” –Derek Sciba

Comprehensive Family Services and Case Management

When a family moves into a Vision House apartment, a lot changes, including some of those core problems that may have created homelessness in the first place.

Did you know that residents pay rent, and build a rental history that they can use when they apply for permanent housing?

Having a good rental history is critical. If clients have evictions on their record, it’s imperative to address that. We work with them to save money, pay back rent that is owed, and work toward establishing a better rental history. Our transitional housing program can help with this, as we serve as landlords for our clients, helping them to rebuild their finances and credit reports.

We see that building a budget and paying rent gives residents a feeling of dignity and teaches them how to manage their money. Comprehensive rebuilding to us means being an empowering agency, along with our community, to come alongside families and solve some of the problems that can impede a family from sustaining in permanent housing.

“Case Managers work with the families to build a budget. Paying rent gives residents a feeling of dignity and teaches them how to manage their money, even on a limited budget.”

We work with families to try to plan out their future so that they can stay housed.

At Vision House, we are a community-based organization, inspired by the love of Jesus to love our neighbors well, and to embody that love with the care that Jesus has shown us. We aim to show our neighbors, who happen to be unhoused, that they matter, and to help them to become empowered to enter that next chapter of their lives and become housed long term.

We’d like to extend an open invitation to you to see for yourself how families are overcoming barriers to housing and working toward stability. Take a video tour of an example of a Vision House apartment with our Executive Director, Derek Sciba,  or contact our team for more information.