Client Eligibility

The Winter Nights Family Shelter serves families with children. All clients must be clean and sober, and adults must commit in writing for themselves and their family to comply with the behavioral standards of the facility as outlined in the Client Participation Guidelines. Continued participation in the program requires such ongoing compliance.

To be determined eligible for participation in the Winter Nights Program, the applicant must meet the following basic criteria:

• Be a family with dependent children. Such a family is defined as one or two parents, with minor children present. The definition may be extended to include a grandparent or a guardian with the children.

• Be deemed homeless. Homelessness is defined as having no access to traditional or permanent housing. The homeless may be finding temporary or occasional shelter in cars, on the street, in places not meant for human habitation, or staying on a rotating basis with friends or relatives.

• They may be living in severely overcrowded units (more than one family per unit).

• Willing to commit in writing to comply with the Client Participation Guidelines.

• Willing to work toward self-sufficiency and permanent housing.

To ensure that the Winter Nights Family Shelter is an appropriate placement for an applicant, all who apply will be asked to supply the following information. Those whose needs would be better met by another program or service will be referred during the intake or screening process.