Since Maryvale was founded in 1856, we have been committed to providing housing and essential services to people who are in critical need. We are honored to announce Seton House, our latest program to provide shelter and life-changing services to single mothers in need. The Seton House mission is simple – through this program, Maryvale seeks to provide safe, temporary housing for single mothers, empowering them with tools to help change the trajectory of their lives. We intend to cultivate a compassionate environment where single mothers can focus on personal development while learning life skills to sustain a positive and productive lifestyle for themselves and their children. By creating opportunities and meeting single mothers’ basic needs, we can deliver the best of Maryvale’s well-established practices to our local community, where housing inequality is soaring.
Why We Are Creating Seton House
Homelessness is one of Los Angeles’ most critical challenges. Survey data on the number of homeless people in the county is not up to date – but at the last count, there were over 66,000 people without shelter in our county. The pandemic has escalated this crisis through business closures, ongoing job insecurity, and a lack of a social safety net. If landing and keeping a job was challenging before 2020, it is more challenging than ever now. Service workers, housekeepers, gig workers, support staff, rideshare drivers, delivery personnel, and retail staff are struggling to stay employed and gain career traction. When economic stability is unreachable, families face problems more complex than homelessness alone. Lack of housing has acute mental health effects and is particularly damaging for young children, who can suffer long-term damage when their foundational experience is unsafe. Unhoused adults are more likely to face addiction issues, abuse, and violence.
At its core, our Family Housing program will provide transitional housing and life skills training for mothers to help end the negative cycles homelessness creates for a mother and her children. When a single mother becomes financially reliant on her partners, she may find herself in a situation of repeated homelessness and abuse. We will offer special assistance to mothers who have frequently been homeless to help grow their skills and cultivate independent, self-sufficient lifestyles. When the situation calls for it, Maryvale staff will assist in family reunification as some mothers may have custody challenges with at least one child.
Our Family Housing residents will arrive via referrals from other organizations. Family Housing is intended for single mothers facing homeless or poverty who are over 18 years old with one or two children under age 10. We are dedicated to housing mothers who are willing to work toward independence, and who are committed to participating in all the services we provide. If a single mother is pregnant with her second child, she can also seek Family Housing. Family Housing is designed to offer support for chronic mental health challenges or victims of abuse and violence - however, participating mothers should be physically independent and not need assistance in physically caring for themselves or their child(ren). Mothers with a history of substance abuse must be at least thirty days sober and may be subject to random drug testing.
Family Housing will provide a maximum of six months of temporary housing for nine mothers with up to two children under 10 years old who face housing insecurity, ensuring that the women have a safe place to sleep and care for their child(ren) while seeking long-term housing solutions. To set these residents up for success, we will make services and activities mandatory. Each woman will be required to meet with her case manager, participate in support groups, join individual and group therapy sessions, and receive life skills and parenting training. When necessary, the women will also have the opportunity to participate in substance use counseling. Families will have access to a number of shared spaces, including indoor and outdoor child play areas, kitchen and congregant dining rooms, and other group living areas. Each family will have its own individual unit rooms with a full bathroom.
Unlocking Empowerment for Unhoused Women
During their stay at Family Housing, residents will participate in an individualized program that, in collaboration with counselors, case managers, and mental health experts, will help them achieve a sense of empowerment. We view women's empowerment as the keystone for developing self-sufficiency.
Our goal is to offer homeless mothers a positive environment that provides support, safety, and resources to assist in developing the skills necessary to become self-sufficient before entering permanent housing. Every week, each mother will meet with her case manager, who will work with her to set goals, review progress, and champion her progress. Case managers will act as a partner to each resident, working together on a timeline to chart out goals and celebrate tangible accomplishments. Maryvale has a tried-and-true approach to offering wrap-around services for people who face extreme adversity. Wrap-around services will help Family Housing residents benefit from guidance and support by addressing multiple dimensions of their struggle and building a team around them:
- Housing specialists will help residents navigate their housing search and identify potential permanent homes.
- Peer specialists will offer their perspectives, drawing from relatable lived experiences and firsthand knowledge of community resources.
- Employment coordinators will help remove barriers to gainful work.
- Counselors and clinicians will provide trauma-informed, culturally relevant emotional support, both one-on-one and in group settings.
Maryvale’s staff will be present at every step in the process to manage, monitor, and support women in achieving permanent housing solutions.
Family Housing will also offer personal development, vocational training for specific job functions, substance use counseling, interpersonal skills building, community involvement, leisure activities, and independent living skills. Residents will participate in various personal development courses to teach them how to properly create a resume and use the internet to search for employment and housing. Mothers will have access to valuable tools that will assist them in applying for college courses if they are interested in attending school or finding GED programs if they are interested in finishing their high school education.
Residents will participate in parenting classes to teach them enriching, positive ways of spending time with their children. Parenting classes will introduce different behavioral techniques, entertaining age-appropriate games, and informative alternatives in communicating with children. These classes will help mothers identify traumas and trauma responses in their children. Mothers will also have access to Maryvale’s Early Education program for their child(ren), as long as they meet the criteria for enrollment and there is space available.
Family Housing Guidelines and Expectations
Faced with extreme adversity and despair, single mothers need support from every angle. To ensure that the Family Housing program is effective and has a lasting impact on the women we take in, Maryvale requires active participation, a growth mindset, and a willingness to follow certain guidelines. By setting a high bar for engagement, we help women unlock personal achievements and take ownership of their lives.
When a mother enters Family Housing, her case manager will work with her to create a residential contract committing her to attend ongoing case management, two support groups, and at least one educational group each week. Educational groups will help residents build crucial life skills, such as financial management, resume building, job searching, coping skills, socialization, positive parenting, and more. Each mother is also expected to attend bi-weekly social activities within Seton House to help foster a sense of community among all residents. They will take ownership of a rotating schedule of house-related chores. All mothers will be held accountable to work towards the harmony of the program, on top of their personal goals.
Homeless mothers are more vulnerable than homeless men. Our Family Housing units will provide secure, female-only residences on Maryvale’s Rosemead campus, creating a safe space for mothers who are recovering from the physical or sexual abuse they may have faced while homeless. This same-gender environment will allow women the take comfort in one another and deal with self-esteem issues that are a common result of abusive situations. We aim to encourage a feeling of sisterhood, allowing mothers to bond and develop meaningful, supportive relationships with each other. As part of our goal to protect women from the dangers of physical or sexual violence in the future, we will also offer self-defense classes.
It is customary for interim housing programs to cap the length of residents’ stay. Family Housing will allow mothers to live at our facility for up to six months while significantly increasing their self-development and empowering them toward self-sufficiency. Time-limited stays create a crucial sense of urgency in preparing women for their next step toward more permanent housing solutions. We also aim to dramatically reduce recidivism among homeless mothers through this program. While they will only be under our roof for six months, mothers will receive continued support from their case managers after leaving the program. We will also require residents to join monthly support meetings to specifically address housing stabilization.
Get Involved with Family Housing
If our mission to empower and offer to house single mothers resonates with you, consider getting involved. We are looking for volunteers for a number of essential elements of the Family Housing program:
- Mentorship. Women who have succeeded in changing the trajectory of their lives or who emerged from homelessness are especially encouraged to join as mentors for our residents.
- Life-skills Instructors. We are excited to offer various workshops around financial literacy, job skills, interpersonal communication, using the internet, public speaking, parenting, and self-defense so that residents feel confident and self-possessed. If you have expertise in any of these categories, we need your help.
- Recreational Instructors: We believe that feeling creatively nurtured will help residents make the most of their Seton House experience. We are seeking volunteers to teach yoga, mindfulness, pilates, art, cooking, music, and other forms of creative expression.
Learn more about Seton House, and get in touch with us if you are interested in giving your time to improve the lives of unhoused single mothers.
