Catholic Charities welcomed its first residents to the Gonzaga Family Haven (GFH) supportive housing community in the fall of 2021. A new chapter begins for the 73 families that will join this community in the coming months. GFH is the 17th tax credit property that Catholic Charities Eastern Washington (CCEW) has developed since 2012 and it comes with its own unique attributes embedded within the property that will serve its residents. Through hard work and collaboration with our community partners at Gonzaga University and Gonzaga Preparatory School, a full range of supportive services for community residents is available on site to help families overcome the trauma of intergenerational poverty and grow as a family together. These services include an early learning center, child care, after-school programs, homework help, a medical clinic, personal health and wellness classes and integrated case management.

One of the families benefiting from the GFH includes a mom of three who has struggled with homelessness and instability over the last two years. Gina, pictured above, reflected on her experience finding a place to live, saying, “The biggest challenge of being homeless is trying to find housing that is affordable in Spokane.” When asked about her own children’s experience during tumultuous times, she said the kids were worried “because they didn’t know when they were going to have a place to live” and "they weren’t close to their friends.” Since September, Gina and her children have gained stability, community and a little more certainty through the GFH housing project.

The family expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share their experience at the housing property.

Gina said, “The day that we got keys to Gonzaga Family Haven was an amazing day. It was a special day. It was a very happy day.”

The family is glad to be doing simple things together again. The children revel in their daily walk to the mailbox to collect letters addressed to their forever home, while mom prepares delicious meals for her family once again. It is these simple activities, which we often take for granted, that make a difference in family lives each day.

GFH encourages a stable, supportive environment to build resilience in local families that have experienced homelessness. The complex provides a safe place to live and access services to improve overall wellness and stability. CCEW’s focus in maintaining this nurturing environment includes addressing the need for families experiencing homelessness to acquire stable housing, food security, and behavioral health services while in transition.

GFH is one of 29 properties operated by CCEW. In total, we serve more than 2,500 people including seniors and the disabled, children and families, single people experiencing chronic homelessness, farmworkers, and veteran families. Each and every property that we run is designed to give residents a community where they can build the relationships and skill sets needed to live a healthy, happy, and stable lifestyle while breaking up intergenerational cycles of poverty and homelessness. CCEW is dedicated to serving its most vulnerable and underrepresented populations. Our permanent supportive housing projects are just one of the ways that we serve in our community.