ASK THE SHELTER AT INTAKE - HERE ARE SOME QUESTIONS - CAN YOU THINK OF MORE?

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?

WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF THIS SHELTER? (Ask even if they have published some PR for their fundraising or run YouTube videos that profile a "success story" client.)

HOW IS THIS SHELTER FUNDED? Donations? Federal Funds? Veterans? State Funds? County Funds? Mental Health? City Funds?

(We'd love to know what percentage of donations from private citizens are actually used to help the homeless and HOW.)

DO YOU FIND PEOPLE HOUSING?

WHAT KIND OF HOUSING IS THAT?

Single Room Occupancy? Putting me in with another resident to be a caregiver? Section 8 housing? Another kind of housing voucher or low income program? Roommates in a shelter room? On cots? On Beds? FOR HOW LONG?

HOW LONG DOES IT NORMALLY TAKE FOR A PERSON WHO IS TAKEN IN BY YOUR SHELTER TO GET HOUSING?

Do you prioritize people who live/lived in this area?

Am I expected to pay you or give you money? Cash? Money Order? Check? Turning my paycheck over to you?

How much a day, week, or month, do you expect me to pay or give you?

HOW IS THIS AMOUNT DETERMINED? (A percentage of my GR, SSI, PAYCHECK?)
Do you save my money for me? If I want to leave how long will I have to wait to get my money? If you kick me out how long will I have to wait to get my money. (One shelter we know of gets rid of people on Friday and has no money to give back to them for weeks.)

Am I expected to volunteer as a means of paying for my stay?

How many hours a week?

What if I cannot work or volunteer?

Do you take people who are on GR/WELFARE?

Do you take people who are on SSI/SSDI?

Are other residents violent? If a roommate or other resident is violent to me, will you expect me to take care of it by myself or will you support me? What is the procedure for complaint? What if I'm being targeted for harassment?

Do you take people who are on probation or parole?

Do you take people who are mentally ill?

Are people who are mentally ill, from criminal backgrounds, or who have problems with drugs expected to share rooms?

Is there a procedure for complaining about a case manager or changing a case manager?

SOME NEW QUESTIONS ARE ON OUR SIDEBAR IN PAGESSECTION

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READERS: CAN YOU THINK OF ANY MORE QUESTIONS THAT SHOULD BE ASKED?