Most ex-offenders find themselves in dormitory-style halfway houses or shelters after incarceration.
Many have bad credit or cannot return to their previous living arrangements. They tend to live in unsavory places with slumlords who don’t maintain their houses. To make matters worse, most people don’t want to associate with ex-offenders, much less employ them, said Linda Dean, founder of Kera’s House.
Dean is on a mission to help people who have served prison time. She and her late husband opened Kera’s House to assist former inmates who want to become self-sufficient and productive members of society.
“I show them respect when they come through the door,” said Dean, who coined “Kera” from the initials of her children’s names. “I address them as Mr. Brown or Mr. Smith. They call me ‘Mrs. Dean.’ They reciprocate that respect to me and my house.”
Kera’s House helps these men feel like they’re truly at home. The house is clean and mulberry-scented. The shiny hardwood floors reflect light. A 7-foot couch sits in front of an antique woodstove fireplace. The men share a kitchen and common living areas, taking care of the house together, but each has his own bedroom. The house is accessible to shopping, a laundromat and public transportation.
“I provide these men a home I would live in myself,” Dean said. “When they’re surrounded with a safe, positive living environment, they feel motivated about their prospects. They have incentive to live well, because they see it’s possible. I believe it inspires them to make life changes.”
Second Chances
Dean chooses her residents based on their potential for success—people she can invest in.
“They must want to help themselves take advantage of a second chance,” she said.
She requires residents to be working, looking for work, in school earning a degree or learning a trade. She looks for focused men who have a life plan.
Along the way, she helps them find their passion and formulate their plans. Some need a push because they place limitations on themselves. They need someone to believe they can reach their goals so they can believe in themselves. Dean also urges volunteering because “you meet people from all walks who can open doors for you.”
On the housing application is a critical question: “Do you want assistance with your personal goals?”
Dean works closely with probation officers and various community and referral agencies to connect residents with health care, educational, employment and life skill services. She also leverages a partnership with Christian Recovery Aftercare Ministry, Inc., which provides pre-release and re-entry services.
That First Step
Thirteen house rules make up part of an ex-offender’s probationary plan at Kera’s House. These include chores, a curfew, a ban on foul language and no sagging pants below the waist. Dean provides her residents with stern mothering to enforce the rules.
“When they go out on their own, they need to learn to keep a responsible routine,” she said. “Rules make the house run smoothly.”
Three strikes, and they’re evicted. One strike if the offense is drugs.
“They wonder why I’m so tough on them. I don’t stand for whining. I push them to do better,” Dean said. “Some just don’t know how to take that first step.”
Some of the rules, such as “no guests,” may seem harsh.
“There’s no growth when they have drama,” Dean said. “Kera’s House is a place for them to get themselves together. That isn’t going to happen if they let the world in. They stay focused if they keep the outside out.”
When residents’ life plans don’t follow the happy path, Dean encourages them to bring her their problems. Sometimes, their hours get cut at work. They get behind on rent. She helps them find solutions.
“Pride makes it hard for them to reach out sometimes,” she said.
Indeed, many have become hardened through a life of tough times.
“They’ve lived in the gutter, in the street, house-to-house,” she said. “They’re still standing.”
Dean dearly misses her husband’s side-by-side passion for their mission. She admits it’s sometimes hard for her to generate enough money to cover all the expenses to maintain the self-funded house.
“More often than not, I’ve had to dip into the savings that my husband left me,” she said.
Seeing her residents succeed energizes Dean with passion for her work. A recent success story was a young man who focused himself until he reached his goals. He graduated last spring from HACC’s culinary school, working while in school. Then he took a job offer in Pittsburgh. Dean gushed when she said, “People like him fill your heart up.”
Seeing so much homelessness fuels her to continue Kera’s House.
“When you’re disenfranchised, you’re beaten,” she said. “When you have a nice place to live, you have incentive to do better. You start planning to do something with your life. You work hard and carry out your goals.”
Despite the struggle, Dean plans to do everything she can to keep Kera’s House open.
“I hope Kera’s House will continue to provide quality housing,” she said. “I always tell the men, ‘As long as you’re willing to help yourself, we’re willing to help you. Kera’s House is more than just a place to stay.’”
Linda Dean can be contacted at:
Kera’s House, Inc.
c/o Linda Dean
101 S. 2nd Street #804
Harrisburg, PA 17101
