Frameworks
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A home of your own, with support close by
Frameworks is a residential housing program for people who have experienced homelessness and whose complex needs may not be well served by market housing alone. By bringing housing and support together in one place, it helps residents build stability while maintaining their independence and dignity.
Open Arms currently owns one four-unit building where Frameworks operates. Each resident has their own unit and the independence that comes with having a place to call home. Staff are on site 24 hours a day to provide support when it is needed. Frameworks is a home for its residents, not an emergency shelter.
Housing that recognizes different needs
A rental home in the community is the right path for many people leaving homelessness. For others, regular visits from a support worker may not provide enough help, particularly when mental health concerns, substance use, trauma, and other challenges intersect.
Frameworks offers another option. Residents have private space and control over their daily lives, while staff are nearby at all hours. That support can help residents respond to difficulties as they arise, work toward their own goals, and remain connected to the services and community around them.
Having complex needs does not take away someone’s need for privacy, choice, or a home of their own. The Frameworks model makes room for all of those things.
What support looks like
Support at Frameworks is shaped around each resident’s circumstances and goals. Staff build relationships over time, learn what matters to the person, and help them navigate both immediate needs and longer-term plans.
Depending on the resident, that work may include:
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Support with daily routines and maintaining their home
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Help connecting with health care, mental health, substance use, and other community services
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Planning for difficult situations and responding when extra support is needed
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Working through housing concerns before they threaten stability
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Building relationships, community connections, and greater independence
Open Arms staff provide housing support and help residents connect with other services. Frameworks does not replace medical care, mental health treatment, or addiction treatment.
Our approach
Frameworks is grounded in Housing First principles: people should have access to housing without first having to prove they are “housing ready,” become sober, or complete treatment. A stable home can provide the foundation from which someone chooses their next steps.
Staff use trauma-informed and harm reduction approaches. They recognize that people’s experiences affect the support they need, and that trust is built through consistency, respect, and choice. Residents are active participants in decisions about their lives and the goals they want to pursue.
A new chapter in Open Arms’ housing work
Open Arms purchased the Frameworks building in 2025. Its four units have operated at full occupancy in 2026.
The site puts into practice a housing model that is needed for people whose support needs are not adequately met by a market rental on its own. Open Arms hopes to operate more sites like Frameworks in the future so that more people can have both a home of their own and the support they need close by.
How Frameworks fits with our other programs
Open Arms offers different forms of support because there is no single path out of homelessness.
Emergency shelter provides a place to stay when someone has nowhere safe to go. Foundations to Housing helps eligible people move into rental housing in the community and provides ongoing support after move-in. Frameworks provides housing in an Open Arms-owned building, where residents live in their own units with staff on site around the clock.
Each program responds to a different set of housing and support needs. Across them, our goal is the same: to help people move toward the safety, stability, and belonging that come with having a home.
LEARN MORE
For questions about Frameworks or Open Arms’ housing programs, contact our team at 902-365-3665.