Center For Women in Transition, Champaign, Illinois
508 East Church Street, Champaign, IL 61820
(217)352-7151
info@cwt-cu.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Center for Women in Transition?
The Center for Women in Transition, or CWT, is a transitional housing program located in Champaign, IL serving women and children from all over East Central Illinois who are experiencing homelessness.
How is CWT different from most standard emergency shelters?
The majority of emergency shelters typically only permit short-term stays of about 6 weeks to 3 months. At CWT, we allow women to reside with us for up to two years, which offers our residents the opportunity to truly address the root causes of their homelessness. Residents pursue goals that help them take steps toward attaining permanent housing and maintaining long-term self-sufficiency.
Why do women and children come to CWT?
Residents at CWT experience homelessness for a multitude of reasons, which include but are not limited to: low incomes, lack of affordable housing, lack of jobs that pay a living wage, recovery from substance abuse, mental and physical health challenges and domestic violence. However, most women seeking shelter at CWT have two commonalities: they are currently devoid of sustainable income and they lack positive support systems.
How does CWT empower those experiencing homeless?
In addition to providing safe, stable housing, CWT offers many unique programs designed to encourage self-sufficiency, such as case management, life skills training, support groups, parent education, job counseling, financial education, transportation, vocational training and much more.
Is there really a homelessness problem in Central Illinois?
It is a common a misconception to assume that homelessness is an urban phenomenon due to the fact that displaced individuals are often more visible in urban areas. In reality, most homeless persons in the United States do not live on the streets, but instead are invisibly homeless. This means that they live in unsafe housing, motels and cars, or that they rely on a succession of makeshift accommodations provided by friends and family members. On average, 300 women apply for housing at CWT each year, indicating a continuing homeless problem in Central Illinois. In addition, families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.
What is our success rate at CWT?
At CWT we measure success by looking at a client's achievement in at least one of the following areas: acquisition of permanent housing, increase in income level or completion of an educational program. With these criteria, our average success rate is approximately 70%.