Residential Services at Sheffield Place

More than 130 families (29 homeless mothers and their children at any one time) call Sheffield Place home each year. The average length of stay is three to four months. The length of stay is tailored to meet the needs of the individual family.

A typical family at Sheffield Place is headed by a mother in her 30’s. The family depends on Temporary Aid for Needy Families, food stamps, and Medicaid. The average mother has two children under five years of age. In 2025, 47% of mothers were White, 31% were African American, 22% were of mixed race or other race.

Nearly all of the mothers have a mental health diagnosis, most commonly depression, anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and bi-polar disorder. Most of the mothers have a dual diagnosis of addiction. Most are survivors of domestic violence, and many grew up in foster care and/or were runaways, and left school before completing a high school diploma or GED. Many have felony convictions.

Home at Sheffield Place’s main facility is a one- or two-room living unit with a private bathroom. Five or six families share a kitchen and dining area on the three residential floors. Families share a common laundry room.

To prepare families for self-sufficiency and the challenges of managing a home, families practice life skills. The mothers care for their own living unit and take responsibility for cleaning shared living spaces. They improve their ability to prepare healthy food on a tight budget, to resolve conflict in a positive manner, to use positive parenting techniques, and to develop healthy relationships. Financial education helps each woman resolve debt. Employment search and retention skills training empower the mothers to secure and keep employment.