The transitional housing assistance grants for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (transitional housing program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. § 12351

The Ottawa County Transitional Housing program received a $499,474 project grant award from the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women to provide transitional housing assistance and support services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault under the Transitional Housing Assistance for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault program (CFDA 16.736). Through this funding, Ruth Anns House will offer a minimum of six months and up to two years of transitional housing in communal, clustered, or scattered site models along with survivor-centered voluntary support services such as case management, childcare, transportation, job training, legal assistance, and follow up services for three to twelve months to help victims transition to permanent housing and independence.

The primary purpose of the transitional housing program is to provide aid to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who are homeless, or in need of transitional housing or other housing assistance, as a result of their victimization, and for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient. A homeless individual is one who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, and includes an individual who is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason. The program supports holistic, survivor-centered approaches to providing transitional housing and support services that move individuals into permanent housing and help them secure employment and integrate into a community. Projects must provide: 1) transitional housing and 2) support services (to include follow-up services) to survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. Transitional housing models include: communal/shared family living spaces, clustered/individual family CO-located spaces and scattered site/individual family spaces independently located. Projects must offer a minimum of six months and maximum 24 months of housing assistance. Support services can be a wide range of survivor-centered voluntary services focused on empowering survivors and addressing the unique challenges faced by underserved populations because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity and special needs (such as language barriers, disabilities, alienage status, or age). Examples of survivor-centered voluntary support services include: rental and utility assistance, case management, safety planning, childcare, transportation, career counseling, financial and credit counseling, support groups, individual counseling, job training, education attainment, limited legal assistance (regarding housing, protection orders, and limited immigration matters that affect a victim's ability to obtain housing), and other assistance. Projects are required to maintain a compensated partnership in the community to ensure consistent quality of service. Once permanent housing is secured, survivor-centered voluntary follow-up services are offered to survivors for a minimum of three months and a maximum of 12 months.