Our Approach

Jericho Project is founded on the belief that each individual – including someone who has been chronically homeless – can make transformational change towards a better life.   For over 25 years, Jericho residents have proven this to be true with remarkable accomplishments in education, employment, family reunification and successful independence.

The Jericho Model has five core components.

1.    A sense of community and shared purpose. Jericho’s overarching philosophy combines practicality and inspiration. We create a supportive, forward-looking community that promotes sobriety. At the same time, we help residents set long-range goals and focus on achieving them. Our professional staff shares this vision and communicates it to residents.

2.    Housing.  Our residences provide a safe foundation for stability from which our tenants can create personal change.  Although there is no time limit, the average stay is two and one-half to three years.

3.    Comprehensive services. We address the many causes of homelessness and help our residents build skills to pursue fulfilling and independent lives. Individualized counseling addresses specific needs across vocational, educational, medical, psychological, financial and social realms.  The goal for all residents is to “graduate” to independent lives when ready.

4.    Aftercare. This exemplary program sustains success following graduation. We stay in regular contact with graduates for two additional years through personal visits, telephone and email. We have developed an active “alumni/ae” network that supports graduates and celebrates personal successes. As a result, our Jericho Model demonstrates meaningful and measurable results:  over 95 percent of graduates maintain stability and independence.

5.    Cost-effective business management. We focus on measurable results, prudent use of private and public funds, and sharing best practices. This requires a well-trained, compassionate staff, a committed leadership and forward-looking funders. These qualities make the Jericho Model more effective than shelters, hospitals and prisons, but at a fraction of the cost of these alternatives. Our focus on how our residents live – not only on where they live – is how we achieve our mission of ending homelessness for all those who come to Jericho.  The Jericho Model is flexible in dealing with a wide range of individuals who are homeless due to substance abuse, economic distress or trauma of military conflict. Beyond those individual successes, we seek to be a catalyst for change in how our society perceives and addresses the problem of homelessness.

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