In first weeks, expanded space for homeless families fills

The holiday wish lists start to tell the story of what has been happening inside the newest place to offer shelter to families without a home.

“I have a family of three, a family of six … I think our biggest family is nine people,” said Heidi Dean, donor relations and marketing specialist at the Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, as she looked through the list of families and prepared to gather Christmas gifts for them.

The biggest gift, though, likely is the new place multiple families have found to call home this holiday season. In October, people started moving into the new Bishop Dudley Center for Families, a dedicated space for those experiencing homelessness. It’s inside the former Children’s Inn at 409 N. Western Ave.

Bishop Dudley Hospitality House, a temporary emergency shelter, previously had space for six families at its downtown location. The newly remodeled facility has space for 10 families in larger living quarters and also includes indoor and outdoor play areas for children, a separate homework/job search lab, a large dining room and family gathering space.

“We see everything from families that are together — mom, dad and several children — and we hear stories every day that vary,” Dean said.

“A gal that had a place of her own and was doing it on her own and then something changed with her job, and all it took was a couple paychecks to really get behind and no longer be able to afford rent and afford bills, so we see those snowball situations fairly quickly.”

The center doesn’t disclose if it’s full or not “because it changes every day,” Dean said. On one day last week, there was one spot out of 10 left.

Many people have been referred from other agencies.

“Guests have to call to see if we have space available, and we run background checks on those guests when they’re staying at the family center and then they work with our case managers on the actual move-in,” Dean said.

This expansion is possible because of collaboration among Inter-Lakes Community Action Partnership, South Dakota Housing Development Authority, the city of Sioux Falls and Bishop Dudley Hospitality House.

Case managers work with guests on other housing options, budget management, health care needs and other life challenges they’re experiencing. The goal is for a stay of about 60 days.

Meals are served at the center, and new additions such as the computer lab have been helping with homework and job searches, Dean said.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “We just have so much more space. A lot of times, our guests come to us with maybe just a backpack. They don’t have a phone. They don’t have access to even apply, whether it’s for housing or a job.”

School buses are running to the center from across the city so kids can stay in the schools they were used to attending, she noted.

An outdoor play area at the family center is offering welcome ways for kids of all ages to be outside, she added.

“We’re getting really good feedback from the guests,” Dean said. “The best compliment we’ve received is the staff has been so great — not just the case management, but all the staff really cares and wants to see everyone succeed.”

And while Christmas gifts are covered for the shelter’s families, winter gear is still a high need at both Bishop Dudley locations, she added.