Nisaa African Family Services

THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING PROGRAM (TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM) IS AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. § 12351. THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE AID TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING WHO ARE HOMELESS, OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AS A RESULT OF THEIR VICTIMIZATION, AND FOR WHOM EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES OR OTHER CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES ARE UNAVAILABLE OR INSUFFICIENT. A HOMELESS INDIVIDUAL IS ONE WHO LACKS A FIXED, REGULAR, AND ADEQUATE NIGHTTIME RESIDENCE, AND INCLUDES AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS SHARING THE HOUSING OF OTHER PERSONS DUE TO LOSS OF HOUSING, ECONOMIC HARDSHIP, OR A SIMILAR REASON. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS HOLISTIC, SURVIVOR-CENTERED APPROACHES TO PROVIDING TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES THAT MOVE INDIVIDUALS INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AND HELP THEM SECURE EMPLOYMENT AND INTEGRATE INTO A COMMUNITY. PROJECTS MUST PROVIDE: 1) TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND 2) SUPPORT SERVICES (TO INCLUDE FOLLOW-UP SERVICES) TO SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING MODELS INCLUDE: COMMUNAL/SHARED FAMILY LIVING SPACES, CLUSTERED/INDIVIDUAL FAMILY CO-LOCATED SPACES AND SCATTERED SITE/INDIVIDUAL FAMILY SPACES INDEPENDENTLY LOCATED. PROJECTS MUST OFFER A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS AND MAXIMUM 24 MONTHS OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE. SUPPORT SERVICES CAN BE A WIDE RANGE OF SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY SERVICES FOCUSED ON EMPOWERING SURVIVORS AND ADDRESSING THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES FACED BY UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS BECAUSE OF GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, GENDER IDENTITY, RACE, ETHNICITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS (SUCH AS LANGUAGE BARRIERS, DISABILITIES, ALIENAGE STATUS, OR AGE). EXAMPLES OF SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDE: RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, CASE MANAGEMENT, SAFETY PLANNING, CHILDCARE, TRANSPORTATION, CAREER COUNSELING, FINANCIAL AND CREDIT COUNSELING, SUPPORT GROUPS, INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING, JOB TRAINING, EDUCATION ATTAINMENT, LIMITED LEGAL ASSISTANCE (REGARDING HOUSING, PROTECTION ORDERS, AND LIMITED IMMIGRATION MATTERS THAT AFFECT A VICTIM’S ABILITY TO OBTAIN HOUSING), AND OTHER ASSISTANCE. PROJECTS ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A COMPENSATED PARTNERSHIP IN THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE CONSISTENT QUALITY OF SERVICE. ONCE PERMANENT HOUSING IS SECURED, SURVIVOR-CENTERED VOLUNTARY FOLLOW-UP SERVICES ARE OFFERED TO SURVIVORS FOR A MINIMUM OF THREE MONTHS AND A MAXIMUM OF 12 MONTHS.

NISAA AFRICAN FAMILY SERVICES IS A CULTURAL SPECIFIC ORGANIZATION SERVING VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SEXUAL ASSAULT IN AFRICAN IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES IN IOWA.

THE SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM (SAS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM) WAS CREATED BY THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2005 (VAWA 2005), 34 U.S.C. § 12511(C), AND IS PART OF THE FIRST FEDERAL FUNDING STREAM SOLELY DEDICATED TO THE PROVISION OF DIRECT INTERVENTION AND RELATED ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT. INTERVENTION AND RELATED ASSISTANCE INCLUDE ADVOCACY, ACCOMPANIMENT (E.G., ACCOMPANYING VICTIMS TO COURT, MEDICAL FACILITIES, POLICE DEPARTMENTS, ETC.), CRISIS INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES, AND REFERRALS, AMONG OTHER SERVICES. UNDER THIS PROGRAM, SUCH SERVICES MAY BE PROVIDED TO ADULT, YOUTH, AND CHILD VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT, FAMILY AND HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS OF SUCH VICTIMS, AND THOSE COLLATERALLY AFFECTED BY THE VICTIMIZATION.    SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT FROM CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES FREQUENTLY CONFRONT UNIQUE CHALLENGES WHEN SEEKING ASSISTANCE, SUCH AS LINGUISTIC AND CULTURAL BARRIERS. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS ARE MORE LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND THESE CHALLENGES BECAUSE THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND BACKGROUND OF VICTIMS FROM THEIR COMMUNITIES, WHO IN TURN ARE MORE INCLINED TO SEEK SERVICES FROM SUCH ORGANIZATIONS. THE GOAL OF THE SAS CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAM IS TO CREATE, MAINTAIN, AND EXPAND SUSTAINABLE SEXUAL ASSAULT SERVICES PROVIDED BY CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH SERVE A VITAL ROLE IN PROVIDING SERVICES THAT ARE RELEVANT FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES. GRANTEES MUST EITHER DEMONSTRATE EXPERTISE IN SEXUAL ASSAULT OR PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS SUCH EXPERTISE. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC IS STATUTORILY DEFINED AS ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING RACIAL AND ETHNIC COMMUNITIES: 1) AMERICAN INDIANS (INCLUDING ALASKA NATIVES, ESKIMOS, AND ALEUTS); 2) ASIAN AMERICANS; 3) NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS; 4) BLACKS; AND 5) HISPANICS. SEE 34 U.S.C. §§ 12511(C)(2), 12291(A)(6), AND 42 U.S.C. § 300U-6(G)(1).

NISAA TRANSITIONAL HOUSING