Your Path to
Independence

Becoming a Resident at The Samaritan Inn

The Samaritan Inn offers more than just shelter; we provide a comprehensive housing program for men, women, and families. Our mission is to equip residents with the resources and skills necessary to attain independence and self-sufficiency.

Carefully review the following information to determine if our approach aligns with your needs and goals. If you’re ready to begin your journey toward self-sufficiency and independence, here’s what you can expect during the intake process into our program.

In-Take Interview Schedule:

To become a resident of The Samaritan Inn, you must complete the full intake interview process. Intake interviews are held three days a week and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Days: Tuesdays, Thursdays & Sundays
Time: 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: 1514 N. McDonald St., McKinney, TX 75071
Phone: 972.542.5302
Email: [email protected]

ITEMS TO BRING:
– Government Issued ID
– Social Security Card for Adults and Children
– Birth Certificates for Children

Housing Assistance

Intake Requirements and Guidelines

  1. Housing Assistance
    Drug Test
    All prospective residents must undergo a mandatory drug test. You must be drug-free and free from alcohol use for the last 30 days before intake. If you test positive for marijuana, a 30-day probationary period will be allowed and you will be retested randomly during your stay to ensure compliance.
  2. Housing Assistance
    Criminal Background Check
    We conduct background checks on all applicants. Individuals with violent offenses, such as domestic violence or assault, may not be admitted. Exceptions may be made for violent offenses older than 10 years and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  3. Housing Assistance
    Work Requirement
    Applicants must be willing to work full-time while residing with us or part-time if they are disabled.
  4. Housing Assistance
    Life Skills Program
    Our residents are required to attend financial literacy classes, job readiness classes, mental health counseling and meet one-on-one with their professional caseworker to develop an individualized action plan and goals for their success.
  5. Housing Assistance
    Pets
    Our kennel space is limited, and we can currently only accommodate dogs. If you plan to bring your dog, please call ahead to confirm availability.

Living Conditions and Resident Expectations

  1. Housing Assistance
    Living Arrangements
    At The Samaritan Inn, men, women, and families are housed separately. Single residents share a room with three other individuals of the same gender, while families with children have their own rooms. Our facility includes a dining room, playroom, computer lab, classrooms, chapel, fully-equipped playground, and very limited kennel space for dogs.
  2. Housing Assistance
    Amenities Provided
    We provide all residents with a full list of complimentary services including three nutritious meals daily, personal hygiene products, laundry facilities, counseling services, financial literacy courses, haircuts, over-the-counter medicines, and vouchers for necessary items and services. Daycare and transportation vouchers are available under specific circumstances.
  3. Housing Assistance
    Resident Responsibilities
    Residents are expected to work diligently on their individualized action plans and engage fully in the life skills programs offered. This includes training in areas such as parenting, budgeting, job readiness, and computer skills. You’ll also be required to contribute to the operations by completing chores, adhering to curfews, and following other necessary guidelines.

The Facility

Housing Assistance

Program Duration and Transition Support

Program Length

Your length of stay at The Samaritan Inn depends on your progress towards program goals, full-time employment, and savings. You can remain with us until you secure suitable housing. Upon successfully completing our program, graduates receive essential items and resources to help them establish a new household. These resources are intended to ease the transition into independent living.

Ongoing Support

Our commitment to your success doesn’t end with graduation. We offer ongoing support to ensure you maintain your independence long after leaving The Samaritan Inn.

Gateway Apartments Program

For those who qualify, we offer a transitional living program through our North Texas Gateway Apartments. Residents can apply for this program, which provides fully furnished apartments with reduced rent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a cost to the Program?

All services provided at The Samaritan Inn are free of charge for residents that live in the shelter and all residents live at reduced rent at The Gateway transitional apartments. While you’re required to work, the money you earn is yours to save, pay down debt, or cover personal expenses.

No, although our agency was founded by the Collin County Ministerial Alliance (an association of churches in the area), our program respects our residents’ Constitutional right to practice (or not practice) their religious beliefs as they see fit. There are no program requirements for our residents to attend church or practice any religion or faith walk. However, there is a chapel on site with access to Bibles for quiet time. Additionally, local churches provide contact details for residents to reach out directly in order to engage with the local faith-based community. We do not provide transportation for these services.   

The length of your stay will be determined by the specifics of your case. With the help of your assigned case worker and your input, the length of stay will be dependent on the specific needs you (and your family, if applicable) have (i.e., debt owed, ability to save, etc.). You must be willing to follow the requirements of the program and show an ability to make progress towards being self-sufficient while at The Samaritan Inn. 

You will need a current government-issued ID and your social security card. If social security cards are not available, applicants must know their social security number. If you have children with you, you will need the child’s social security card, and it is highly encouraged to have their birth certificates as well. You must be willing to work full time while residing with us. You will also need to be drug and alcohol free for the last 30 days and have no violent offenses on your criminal record. Currently there is a 30-day probationary period allowed if a resident fails the initial drug test for THC. They will be permitted into the program, retested randomly, and must remain clean for the entirety of your stay at the Inn. Exceptions will be made, on a case-by-case basis, for violent offenses older than 10 years. Please visit saminn.org/becomearesident for more details regarding the intake process.  

The Samaritan Inn is one of the few homeless programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area that has kennels to house a resident’s dog. Services are limited by the space available. Please call ahead before planning to bring your dog with you to our campus. Unfortunately, at this time, we are only able to provide housing and care for dogs.  

Due to reasons that include limited personnel, scheduling, etc., we are unable to provide regular transportation to our residents to go to work or attend church.  On a case-by-case basis, and at the discretion of a case worker, residents may be provided a ride to one-time events like applying for benefits at a government agency or attending a doctor’s appointment. Otherwise, residents are required to provide their own transportation, ride a bike, or walk. We want to ensure the independence of our residents and set them up for success in the future after their stay at The Samaritan Inn. Encouraging residents to seek more permanent means of transportation is essential to our program goals and philosophy.  

For school-age children: 

The dedicated Family Care Team members assist parents with arranging transportation needs in accordance with the McKinney-Vento Act to ensure the children we serve can remain in their original school districts (if they choose to). They can also assist with enrollment/transportation arrangements for those who wish to transfer to McKinney ISD. Also, to assist resident parents succeed in our program, our trained staff provides child oversight in the mornings from 5 am to 9 am and in the afternoons from 4pm until 9pm Monday-Friday to allow parents to return from work, attend counseling sessions, case worker meetings and/or classes. For all other times, child care is the responsibility of the resident parent. 

 Non-School age children: 

Upon entry, case workers and our child advocate will work with resident parents and help with enrollment for subsidized child care or help build a support system/family to assist with the care of the child. When there is no outside support or a parent is awaiting subsidized childcare, The Samaritan Inn partners with Holy Family School to provide 30 days of paid child care when space is available.  

Previous residents may apply for services and residency one year after they have exited The Samaritan Inn the first time. Re-admission will be on a case-by-case basis after a determination has been made on whether the program could still benefit the resident (and their family, if applicable).  

The success of The Samaritan Inn program is partially dependent on the resident’s ability to work and save money. We find that those with a disability or unable to work because they may lose their disability payments are better served by an agency that will not put their disability status in jeopardy. Please contact us for a referral list of other providers in our area. We do allow our residents receiving disability into our program providing they are able to work part-time.

Often times, victims of domestic violence or intimate partner violence require a level of security our program does not offer. For example, our location is common knowledge and our address is listed on the internet. We are unable to provide a high level of security to protect the family from the aggressor. However, if you are a victim of domestic violence in your past that no longer requires that level of protection, then we welcome you to apply for admission.