RENEE STEEDLEY FAMILY RESIDENCE
a temporary haven for survivors of domestic violence

Opened on June 30, 2017 and funded by the New York City Human Resources Administration (“HRA”), the Renee Steedley Family Residence is a transitional Tier II domestic violence residence. The mission of the Renee Steedley Family Residence is to offer survivors and their minor children, a safe but temporary haven in which to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. The secondary goal of the Renee Steedley Family Residence is to prepare families for independent living, assist them in locating permanent housing within or outside the State of New York, and to offer a host of on- and off-site supportive services that will help empower victims and minimize the root causes of domestic violence.

The Renee Steedley Family Residence offers survivors (regardless of gender, race, culture, religion, ethnic background, or sexual preference) the opportunity to reside in a secured environment for up to six months or more, as needed. The program is culturally sensitive to allow families to feel immediately at home and to foster ethnic pride in children and family members. The Renee Steedley Family Residence is able to accommodate families including those with adolescent children, up to eighteen years of age,  and male head-of-household.

The Renee Steedley Family Residence provides temporary accommodations with on-site social services to 54 homeless parents. During their stay, each family is housed in a furnished studio, one or two bedroom, fully furnished apartment, depending upon family configuration. All applicants are domestic violence survivors with children and reside outside of the Renee Steedley Family Residence catchment area. All families have access to onsite social services that address the psychological and concrete causes and effects of domestic violence, homelessness and unemployment.

During their time-limited length of stay (normally no more than six months), residents are educated on family safety, non-violent relationship choices, economic self-sufficiency, and finding and maintaining permanent housing.

Referrals to the shelter come via the NYC Human Resources Administration after a family has exceeded their maximum length of stay (90 days) in an emergency domestic violence shelter.

On-site services and programs include:

• Twenty-four-hour hotline and refuge
• Family case management
• Individual and group counseling
• Housing search assistance
• Follow-up services
• Legal advocacy
• Vocational counseling
• Social & recreational activities
• Domestic violence support groups for adults and children
• Information and referral
• Community outreach and education on the impact of domestic violence
• Living skills workshops
• Parenting classes

Eventually, through self-discipline and self-reliance, families are expected to move into permanent housing.

Ancillary Program Space

The Renee Steedley Family Residence is designed with a resident lounge, an infant care lounge (able to accommodate up to 11 infants (ages 3 months to 3 years), childcare lounge (able to accommodate up to 22 children ages 3 to 6), a small commercial kitchen for the warming/preparation of infant and child care meals; an out-door children’s play yard, a children’s garden, an After-school lounge (able to accommodate children/adolescents ages 6 to 18), a computer and employment-search lounge, staff/resident conference lounge, and an on-site laundry facility.

Twenty-four hour on-site security is provided by trained security specialists. Additionally, the site’s address, names and addresses of past or current residents are strictly forbidden to be disclosed, and are held in strict confidence. THIS POLICY ENSURES THE SAFETY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF ALL STAFF, CURRENT AND FORMER RESIDENTS.

Total Residential Units: 54 independent living apartments comprised of:

• 8 studio-apartments
• 27 one-bedroom apartments
• 19 two-bedroom apartments

Each apartment is designed to have its own full bath, full kitchen with refrigerator and gas range stove, and includes an open living/dinning room space. All apartments are outfitted with infant supplies and baby-cribs, as needed.

Operating and Social Service Subsidies:

• AAPCI negotiates a per diem Operating Budget with the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) – Office of Domestic Violence and Emergency Intervention Services (ODVEIS).
• Renee Steedley Family Residence officially opens on June 30, 2017, and the residence accepts its first ten residents.
• AAPCI receives an Operating Certificate from the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) in July 2017.

• Number of Jobs Created:  35 positions.

The Official Opening

Renee Steedley Family Residence officially opened its doors to its first ten homeless survivors of domestic violence and their children on June 28, 2017, amidst very little fanfare. CEO, Matthew Okebiyi, cleared a path into the building and toward a hopefully brighter future for the many residents who will pass through our doors in years to come.