Mujeres Unidas En Justicia Educacion Y Reforma Inc

TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM

THE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING PROGRAM (TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM, AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. 12351), HAS AS ITS PRIMARY PURPOSE THE PROVISION OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICES TO AID MINORS, ADULTS, AND THEIR DEPENDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS (AS DEFINED IN 34 U.S.C. 12473(6)) OR IN NEED OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE AS A RESULT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING. THE PROGRAM IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS FOR WHOM EMERGENCY SHELTER SERVICES OR OTHER CRISIS INTERVENTION SERVICES ARE UNAVAILABLE OR INSUFFICIENT. THE PROGRAM SUPPORTS VICTIM-CENTERED APPROACHES TO PROVIDING TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, SHORT-TERM HOUSING ASSISTANCE, AND VOLUNTARY SUPPORT SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH LOCATING AND SECURING PERMANENT HOUSING, OBTAINING EMPLOYMENT, AND INTEGRATING INTO A COMMUNITY. MUJERES UNIDAS EN JUSTICIA EDUCACION Y REFORMA, INC., A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN HOMESTEAD, FL, WILL IMPLEMENT THE MUJER'S TRANSITIONAL HOUSING PROGRAM THROUGH THE PROVISION OF VICTIM-CENTERED APPROACHES TO TRANSITIONAL HOUSING NEEDS, IN COLLABORATION WITH BRANCHES, INC. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE TEN PRIVATE LANDLORD SCATTERED SITE TRANSITIONAL HOUSING RESIDENCES FOR TEN SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES IN A RURAL REGION OF FLORIDA. THIS CONTINUATION PROJECT WILL USE FUNDS TO PROVIDE BOTH HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO MOVE SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING WHO ARE HOMELESS OR IN NEED OF HOUSING ASSISTANCE TO PERMANENT HOUSING. THE PROJECT WILL ASSIST CLIENTS FOR AN ANTICIPATED MINIMUM OF 6 MONTHS AND A MAXIMUM LENGTH OF 24 MONTHS. SERVICES OFFERED WILL FOCUS ON PRIMARILY SERVING UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN THE REGION AND WILL BE TAILORED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF VICTIMS WHO ARE SERVED. THE RANGE OF OPTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES INCLUDES RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE, CASE MANAGEMENT, SAFETY PLANNING, VICTIM/SURVIVOR ADVOCACY, SUPPORT GROUPS, AND HOUSING ADVOCACY. THE PROJECT WILL RETAIN ONE DEDICATED STAFF MEMBER TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM AND PROVIDE FOLLOW-UP SERVICES FOR AT LEAST 3 MONTHS ONCE PERMANENT HOUSING IS SECURED.

THE GRANTS TO ENHANCE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING PROGRAM IS AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. 20124. THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE MAINTENANCE AND REPLICATION OF EXISTING SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS PROVIDING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS WHO FACE OBSTACLES TO USING MORE TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES MEANS COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES THAT INCLUDE CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND LINGUISTICALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE STATUTORILY DEFINED AS AMERICAN INDIANS (INCLUDING ALASKA NATIVES, ESKIMOS, AND ALEUTS); ASIAN AMERICANS; NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS; BLACKS; AND HISPANICS. PROJECTS MUST ADDRESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE PROGRAMS STATUTORY PURPOSE AREAS. THROUGH THIS NEW CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES PROGRAM PROJECT, MUJERES UNIDAS EN JUSTICIA EDUCACION Y REFORMA (M.U.J.E.R.), INC. WILL IMPLEMENT A PROJECT ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE AREA: PURPOSE AREA 4 ENHANCING TRADITIONAL SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF CULTURALLY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OFFERING SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING FOR HISPANIC VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS IN MIAMI DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA. THE PROJECT WILL ADDRESS PRIORITY AREA 2: STRENGTHENING EFFORTS TO PREVENT AND END SEXUAL ASSAULT. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: 1) ADVOCACY AND CASE MANAGEMENT; 2) LEGAL SUPPORT AND ACCOMPANIMENT; 3) MULTILINGUAL THERAPY AND SUPPORT GROUPS; 4) CHARLAS (LISTENING GROUPS); AND 5) HOLISTIC HEALING ACTIVITIES LIKE YOGA AND MINDFULNESS.

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).

PROJECT ESPERANZA TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM