https://correctionalservices.org
THE ORGANIZATION: ATTIC opened its doors in Marathon County in 1995. ATTIC, which stands for Alternatives to Traditional Incarceration of Citizens, conceives and develops effective interventions, which will enable individuals to avoid unnecessary levels of incarceration, enhance community safety and provide a setting that facilitates treatment and reduction of recidivism. Locally, over 500 clients receive services each month including substance abuse and mental health treatment, referrals to access medical care, employment/vocational skill development, community service placement, prosocial support, and stable housing assistance. Most of ATTIC’s clients are men; however, the drug treatment court program serves mostly women.
THE PROJECT: Research shows that stable housing is a precursor for stable employment and self-sufficiency. With Impact100 funds, ATTIC would launch Housing Help to provide qualified clients with monetary assistance to secure safe, stable housing. The target population for Housing Help includes those clients who are at particularly high risk for housing instability/homelessness, present barriers to acquiring housing on their own, and show forward progress to obtaining employment. ATTIC’s strong relationships with both their clients and community partners, including the justice system, residential treatment programs, mental health professionals, and job training programs, will support the launch and success of Housing Help. The program would begin in late summer 2022, and ATTIC estimates spending about $5,000 toward housing stabilization per month over the grant’s two-year span.
THE NEED: Because having an address is a key component to obtaining a job, stable housing is the foundation for overall health and wellness and a gateway to employment. ATTIC estimates that 20-30% of its clients are homeless. Currently Marathon County provides ATTIC with $27,205 annually for housing assistance, primarily supporting personnel and operating expenses.
USE OF IMPACT100 FUNDS: Funds will provide short-term financial assistance (1-3 months), tailored to individual clients’ needs. ATTIC estimates allocating $1,500 per client to approximately 65 clients by May 2024. Possible uses of the funds include rental application fees, security deposits, and a portion of rent, determined by each client’s needs. For example, rental assistance could include a full month’s rent, followed by a portion of rent in subsequent months. ATTIC developed the Housing Help project specifically for the Impact100 grant. All grant funds will be spent in Marathon County.
FUTURE EXPECTATIONS/SUSTAINABILITY: A data-driven organization, ATTIC projects that at least 75% of project participants will remain in permanent housing, benefiting both clients and property owners. After the grant period, ATTIC anticipates working with Marathon County to establish a collaborative budget to continue Housing Help and will pool monetary and nonmonetary resources with local non-governmental agencies to support its sustainability.
FROM THE GRANT COMMITTEE: Impact100 can help launch ATTIC’s Housing Help program as a model for other programs throughout the state. Housing Help is needed, transformational, groundbreaking, gap-filling, and a step towards forward progress for unhoused individuals.