House of Refuge

Mar 12 - Nancy Marion, Executive Director of the House of Refuge, gave us a comprehensive view of this organization. She explained that the facility is located on 20 acres at the old Williams Field Air Force base and includes a chapel as well as 88 houses. House of Refuge is a transition facility (not a shelter) to help people get back on their feet. The maximum stay is 24 months and the adults must work at least 28 hours a week.  Each house can accommodate a family of 6 and is fully furnished. When a family leaves they take the furniture with them. The facility currently takes in about 8 families a month from a total of over 170 applications. House of Refuge opened in 1996, operates with a budget of about $1.3 million, and has a 90% success rate. This is a faith-based program that strives to help homeless families become self sufficient and obtain permanent housing.  A very successful and remarkable organization to be sure!