Shelters to Shutters has been featured in The Washington Post for our unique approach to being a preventative solution to chronic homelessness. Shelters to Shutters assists those experiencing situational homelessness with employment and housing through our real estate partners, putting our participants back on a path to self-sufficiency. 

This novel program gives homeless people jobs in apartment buildings — and housing to go with them

“About 200 people have transitioned out of situational homelessness through Shelters to Shutters since it was piloted in five cities in 2015. The Vienna, Va.-based nonprofit launched a program in the D.C. area in 2017 and now operates in a dozen cities, including Atlanta, Houston, Nashville and Portland, Ore.

The program is the brainchild of real estate executive Chris Finlay, who said he read a magazine article about homelessness and saw a need that property management companies could fill. Half of entry-level real estate employees leave their jobs within a year in search of better opportunities, he said, creating a constant demand for workers.

Shelters to Shutters screens job candidates recommended by local nonprofit partners and refers them to property management companies that hire them for maintenance and leasing positions. The model is meant to push people toward self-sufficiency by offering full-time employment and discounted housing at the buildings where they work.”

Read the entire article here.