Resource Spotlight: Families in Transition
Stable housing can affect almost every other part of someone’s life. It can make it easier to keep a job, get children to school consistently, manage healthcare, plan expenses, and build routines that are difficult to maintain when housing is uncertain.
For people experiencing homelessness or trying to avoid it, getting into housing can be only one part of the process. There may also be food needs, health concerns, financial challenges, employment goals, substance use treatment, or other issues that need attention along the way.
Families in Transition works across those different areas in New Hampshite. The nonprofit’s mission is to prevent and break the cycle of homelessness, wit programs that include housing, emergency shelter, case management, food assistance, homelessness outreach, and substance use treatment.
In 2025, the organization reported serving more than 16,000 people through its housing, shelter, food, and treatment programs.
Housing Looks Different Depending on What Someone Needs
There is no single type of housing that works for every person or family.
Through its housing programs, Families in Transition offers several options designed for different points in someone’s housing journey. Its housing properties are located in Manchester and Concord, and the level of assistance available depends on the program and the needs of the household.
Affordable housing is one option. Individuals and families who meet income requirements can live in their own unit while receiving long-term housing assistance. These units give people an affordable place to live while they work toward greater financial and housing stability.
Families in transition also offers transitional supportive housing for people who need temporary housing before moving into something permanent. Participants typically stay between 18 and 24 months and have access to case management while they work on goals such as finding permanent housing, securing employment, developing support systems, and addressing other barriers.
Permanent supportive housing provides long-term affordable housing with additional support. Residents who live in their own apartments and work with dedicated case managers who can help them identify goals, connect with resources, and address challenges that may affect their ability to maintain housing.
Each program serves a different purpose. Together, they give Families in Transition more than one way to respond when someone needs housing support.
Emergency Shelter Can Be a Starting Point
Families in Transition also operates emergency homelessness services for adults and families with children in Manchester.
The organization’s emergency shelter programs operate around the clock and provide a safe place for people experiencing homelessness while they work toward longer-term housing. Participants can also connect with case management and other services during their stay.
That support matters because finding permanent housing often involves more than locating an available apartment. Someone may need help gathering documents, applying for programs, finding employment, managing income, connecting with healthcare, or working through other issues affecting their housing situation.
Emergency shelter can give people a place to address immediate needs while beginning that longer process.
Case Management Helps Connect the Pieces
One of the main parts of Families in Transition’s service model is case management.
Case managers work with people participating in housing and emergency shelter programs to identify their needs, set goals, and connect with resources. Depending on someone’s situation, that might include support with housing applications, income and employment, public benefits, life skills, healthcare, or substance use recovery.
