About Us
LifeSTEPS brings years of experience and specialization in social services to serve low-wage earners living in affordable housing, including children, teens, and adults. The STEP in LifeSTEPS stands for ‘Skills Training and Educational Programs’ and is the heart of our mission.
We believe community development is built ‘One STEP at a time.’ Our vision is that every person touched by LifeSTEPS will be empowered with the skills, resources, and support to maintain stable housing and break the cycle of poverty.
Our founders believe that building affordable housing is only the first step. It is also essential to provide meaningful programs that empower people to move forward in their lives.
Our Mission
The mission of LifeSTEPS is to provide effective educational and supportive services to maximize the strengths of individuals and build resilient communities.
Our Model
To change the plight of the poor, more than bricks and mortar must be used. We cannot expect significant change to occur unless an alternative is presented. This is a core value that is rooted within LifeSTEPS, and is a central idea that led Craig Gillett and Kenneth Robertson to found LifeSTEPS in 1996. Gillett, a licensed therapist and attorney, and Robertson, a seasoned affordable housing and commercial real estate expert, determined that access to affordable housing was only part of the solution in helping people overcome poverty.
There needed to be a strong case management presence on-site. This led to the LifeSTEPS service delivery model. Contracting with developers of affordable housing communities, LifeSTEPS began delivery of services to just a few sites, growing slowly during the initial phases.
In 2006 LifeSTEPS served 61 properties. Since that time the organization has grown nearly 300%. Perhaps what is most impressive about this growth is that it was the for-profit developers who sought out LifeSTEPS. They recognized the value and high standard of service LifeSTEPS delivered to residents, validating the LifeSTEPS model.
What has given even more strength to our on-site social worker case management approach has been Client Emergency Assistance. Providing short-term financial assistance, with required financial literacy education, has led to 87% of assistance recipients maintaining stable housing. This powerful combination of case management, emergency assistance and education has blended together to provide a growing number of affordable housing residents hope for the future.
Because a significant portion of LifeSTEPS’ revenue is derived from fee-for-service contracts with developers, donors are assured that 100% of their investment will go directly toward client services (and not a penny is allocated for administrative overhead). This model – with an overall administrative overhead of just 10%, and a client service to administrative personnel ratio of 13 to 1, has become a highly sustainable business model that reflects the guiding values of the organization.
Who we serve
The residents we serve are diverse. They are young and old; live alone or with a family; come from a multiplicity of cultural backgrounds; are employed, retired or receive assistance. The one thing they have in common is that they are low or very low-income.
Low income people face a multitude of challenges. From work and job skill deficiencies, to health and wellness challenges, they often face one or more barriers to achieving self-sufficiency. They have little or no resources, no savings, and typically work at minimum wage jobs or receive some type of public assistance. The typical client LifeSTEPS serves is a single mother with three children.
According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, the average market rate in California for a 2-bedroon apartment is $1,361. This means a minimum wage earner must work 131 hours per week to afford this basic housing (or, 3 or more people in the household must have full-time minimum wage jobs).
Regardless of the make-up of the household, if they experience a decrease in on on-the-job hours, an unexpected car repair, or a medical emergency, they will be in danger of missing a rent payment…which, in turn, puts them in danger of being homeless.
Leadership
Craig Gillett, JD, MFT
LifeSTEPS Founder & Board President
Craig is an attorney, educator and licensed Marriage and Family Therapist living in Los Angeles. He has been involved with non-profit agencies since 1992, with a focus on homelessness, affordable housing for seniors and families, and mental health issues. At Antioch University Los Angeles, Craig was a core faculty member and the Director of Clinical Training in the Master’s Degree Program in Clinical Psychology from 1997 through 2001. He has maintained a small private psychotherapy practice in Los Angeles for over eighteen years. It was Craig’s belief that supportive services, which include a strong case management and mental health component, that are crucial to the success of affordable housing that empowered him to co-found LifeSTEPS.
Beth Southorn, MACP
Executive Director
Beth has been working in the Social Service field since 1991. She has had experience with the mental health population, the aging, the homeless, the incarcerated, individuals in drug and alcohol recovery, domestic violence, and welfare recipients. Her experience in diversity, leadership, and program development has allowed her to form national models of success with vocational rehabilitation and affordable housing service programs. Beth earned her Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Notre Dame de Namur, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University. Beth continues to enhance and improve the successful model of resident empowerment she created and implemented for various affordable housing communities throughout Northern California. Beth joined LifeSTEPS in 2002 as a Regional Director of Social Services leading Northern California. Beth has spearheaded the agency’s efforts in creating a successful model for delivering social services to affordable apartment communities.
