Partners United for Supportive Housing

One of the program films for the Children’s Bureau Building Community Building Hope series, this film profiles Partners United for Supportive Housing (PUSH), an innovative pilot program in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Understanding that when parents are experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, they are under such high levels of toxic stress that their ability to fix other problems in their lives including focusing on their children’s needs is compromised. In the traditional model, families in trouble are expected to fix all their problems first, then they can apply for housing. In this inverse model, PUSH recognizes that if they can get parents and children stably housed, first and foremost, they are likely to be much more successful at helping those families address some of the complex needs that can lead to child maltreatment. In this story Belinda shares her story of domestic violence and how it led to the temporary loss of her children and left her homeless.