Housing is an especially important concern for many Survivors.

Leaving a domestic violence situation is not easy. Often survivors are faced with almost insurmountable obstacles that make it difficult for them to seek safety. At Haven Hills we believe that everyone deserves to live a life free from violence and make it our mission to help survivors break down barriers that keep them in unsafe relationships.
Women like Claire who in April 2022 was referred to us by another domestic violence agency and began working with one of our Housing Navigators. With the financial assistance from our Housing First program, and despite the many challenges in her path, Claire worked to reach huge milestones.
The first obstacle Claire had to overcome was an open child custody case with her abusive partner, for custody of her youngest son. Costly fees to obtain legal representation were a significant barrier. Through financial assistance from the program, she has secured legal representation and continues to work towards regaining full custody of her son. Unfortunately, the Judge, in that custody case, deemed the shelter in which she was residing an unsuitable environment for her son. Therefore, it became imperative that Claire find housing, in her son’s school district, to comply with the Judge’s requirements.
In July 2022, she obtained a place to live within her son’s school district where she could live with both of her children. The Housing First Program provided support for Claire’s security deposit and a few months of rental assistance to allow time for Claire to get back on her feet after exiting the shelter.
Throughout that time, Claire and her Housing Navigator worked together to provide her with assistance crucial to her independence and safety.
- We helped earn her Basic Life Support Certification which helped her obtained new employment with better pay and hours.
- We helped her with essential furniture assistance to help her establish her new home.
- We helped her with emergency food and clothing to help as she continued to stabilize.
Much like healing trauma and abuse, finding affordable, safe housing is crucial to helping survivors reduce the possibility of future violence. That is why programs like Housing First are so important as they reduce housing instability and homelessness and ensure that survivors have increased economic opportunities.
Claire is very thankful to the Haven Hills Team and often refers to Haven Hills as “Heaven Hills” and to the Haven Hills’ team as her “angels”. We couldn’t be prouder of her success and the small part we played in her achievements.
Despite the many barriers still before her, Claire continues to make steady progress towards self-sustainability and is hopeful for what is yet to come. Haven Hills will continue to provide support to ensure that Claire and her children don’t lose their housing or their financial independence.
Since 2018 the Housing First Program has helped survivors like Claire exit from our transitional program, crisis shelter, and outreach programs to find housing successfully, pursue their goals and improve their quality of life.
To find out how your unrestricted gift can help us invest in critical programs like Housing First please contact our Development Department at 818-887-7481 ext. 121.