1991: Carolyn Hamilton opened the doors of an old farmhouse surrounded by orange trees in Loma Linda as Inland Temporary Homes (ITH). With just one staff member, one program and more love and determination than money, she founded our unique program dedicated to help families of children replace the broken shards of homelessness with a firm foundation on which to build productive, self-sufficient lives.

Today, 10 employees administer our successful program. ITH outgrew the original orange grove property to include both purchased and leased properties while developing a successful multi-faceted two step program. Still, fueling families to forgo the chaos of homelessness to find the peace and serenity which comes with a functional lifestyle remained constant.

Along with community volunteers, Interns from local colleges and universities augment the care provided by ITH staff. Argosy, CSUSB, Loma Linda and Redlands Universities are generous sources of graduate level students who bring their passion for marriage and family therapy, social work, psychology, occupational therapy and nursing.

Practical Matters

Upon acceptance, a family unit, as defined by ITH, is initially sheltered together up to 90 days. As a drug-free facility, individuals with addiction issues must commit to rehabilitation programs, which we can steer to. Likewise, when need arises, ITH helps search out medical care.

Greater independence comes when families are moved together into more traditional housing units. This rent-subsidized housing may be an apartment, a duplex or a single-family home. What is most important, the family unit remains  bonded while learning life-skills; saving 80% of their income towards when 21-24 months later, the family transitions with money saved  to living independently. 

National statistics show the average rate at which homeless families are able to transition successfully from shelter to permanent housing at a rate of 50-60%. ITH’s success rate consistently hovers at a near perfect 95%.  

Our Program

In addition to Case Management, ITH currently teaches 24 classes covering a complete range of subjects focused on developing personal skills to facilitate personal growth.

Career Employment Services identify individual interests and skills to develop a career path.

Counseling by a licensed psychologist facilitates mental health.

Learning Express focuses on providing age appropriate social and developmental skills for success in school; from readiness to enter school through after-school activities for adolescents.

Follow-Up Services are offered for one year to families who complete the shelter program, but do not enter the transitional housing program. Those who stay through the transitional housing program are allowed six months of additional moral support provided by counseling on practical topics such as budget and home maintenance.