Lucie's Place
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Mission Statement
Lucie’s Place provides homeless LGBTQ+ young adults in Central Arkansas with safe living environments, job training and counseling services in order to ensure lifelong stability and success, and works to promote equality and acceptance for LGBTQ+ young adults. Lucie's Place currently operates a Drop-In Center (or day shelter) for homeless LGBTQ+ young adults, ages 18-25, to receive support and services. At the Drop-In Center, people can shower, do laundry, use the stocked kitchen, relax in the lounge, use the computers, and take what they need--like clothes or toiletries--from the donation closet. Community Aides help out with case management Lucie's Place also provides rental and utility assistance in order to get unhoused LGBTQ+ young adults into safe and permanent housing or to prevent them from being evicted from their current housing. However, because of the diverse circumstances that unhoused LGBTQ+ young adults are in, these services cannot cover everyone. This is why Lucie's Place aims to have some emergency shelter space open within the coming year, and, in the long term, to work towards providing co-operative housing spaces that will allow LGBTQ+ young adults to live in safe environments on a long-term basis.
About This Cause
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute and the National Coalition for the Homeless estimate that the number of homeless and runaway youth ranges from 575,000 to 1.6 million each year in the United States. Homeless young adults are at a higher risk for physical abuse, sexual exploitation, mental health disabilities, substance abuse, and death. According to True Colors United, up to 40 percent of the homeless youth population identifies as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and/or Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ+) compared to only 5 to 10 percent of the overall youth population. And a 2017 study from the University of Chicago showed that LGBTQ+ youth were 120% more likely to become homeless than their non-LGBTQ+ peers. LGBTQ+ homeless young adults have specific needs that need to be met for their success, however these needs are not being currently met by any organization in the state. A large majority of homeless organization and agencies in the state are run by private religious institutions with anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs and policies in place. These beliefs and policies lead to programming that is not inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals and Lucie's Place has discovered that many openly refuse services to LGBTQ+ identified individuals. The increasing number of homeless LGBTQ+ young adults in United States as well as in Arkansas requires action from the community. This is why Lucie's Place is taking a multi-pronged approach to addressing homelessness among LGBTQ+ young adults in Central Arkansas. One of the most direct approaches Lucie's Place takes is its street outreach operation, which seeks to meet the needs of unhoused LGBTQ+ young adults where they are. During street outreach, Community Aides provide toiletries, food, clothing, and other necessary items, as well as referrals to services that Lucie's Place provides at the Drop-In Center, or other to community organizations as needed. Second, Lucie's Place primarily provides and coordinates services for LGBTQ+ young adults out of the Drop-In Center. The Drop-In Center is a day shelter, meaning there are also places available to do laundry, shower, get food, cook, relax, use computers, and get necessities like clothing, toiletries, phones, phone cards, and bus passes. In addition, at the Drop-In Center Community Aides are there to provide case management services and referrals to other programs. An Aide might help an individual find a safe doctor so they can start HRT, prepare a resume and apply for a job, or get them onto Lucie's Place's rental and utility assistance program. This rental and utility assistance program is the third approach Lucie’s Place takes towards addressing LGBTQ+ youth homelessness. This program allows Lucie's Place to directly financially support both those moving into permanent housing and those needing help staying in housing. All clients receiving this assistance receive case management services. As Arkansas has almost no protections for renters and is the only state in the country with a criminal eviction statute, LGBTQ+ young adults are in need of support as they try to find or remain in housing. Lucie's Place not only helps provide a safety net or cushion, but also can assist navigating relationships with landlords and property managers. Altogether, this creates the ability for LGBTQ+ young adults to find and remain in stable and safe housing. The final two approaches are what Lucie’s Place hopes to build in the coming years—emergency shelter and cooperative housing. Lucie’s Place aims to make a small number of emergency shelter placements available within a year. These placements will be within a house exclusive to Lucie’s Place clients, and a COVID-19 protocols like reduced capacity, increased frequency of cleanings, and contact tracing will be put into place to protect those needing shelter. Co-operative housing is a long-term goal for Lucie’s Place. While the Lucie’s Place co-operative housing program will be able to become largely self-sustaining, in these first years direct support will be essential. With a sliding scale payment system, co-op members will only ever pay what they can, and be able to deal with medical, employment, or other crises as they arise. Co-operative housing will provide opportunities for LGBTQ+ young adults to live in safe environments, make connections and build community, gain organizing and leadership skills through the co-op board, and find long-term housing that will not become endangered because of a personal or financial crisis.