COLUMBUS, OHIO, December 9,
2002—The Community Shelter Board announced at its board meeting today funding
awards for supportive housing programs that provide formerly homeless men and
women a place to live in the community.
These funding awards are part of the Rebuilding Lives plan to develop housing
and supportive services for long-term homeless men and women with disabilities
in Columbus. Residents of
supportive housing live in safe, clean, and affordable housing with supportive
services available on-site and from community providers. Services enable residents to maintain
housing, live healthier lives, and become employed.
“We
are very pleased with the value these programs offer the residents and the
community,” said Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the Community Shelter
Board. “They’re proving that
housing combined with supportive services is the best possible, lowest-cost
solution to chronic homelessness.
Supportive housing works, even for people who have spent years living in
shelters, in makeshift camps, and on the streets.”
Two
supportive housing providers were awarded renewal funding based upon the quality
of their programs: Community
Housing Network (CHN) and the YMCA of Central Ohio. Both agencies received excellent marks
for helping formerly homeless persons remain stable in housing. CHN received funding for 15 units of
housing on North 22nd Street in Columbus, and for 60 scattered-site
apartments located around Franklin County.
The YMCA received funding for 65 permanent housing units at its downtown
location, and for 65 units at Sunshine Terrace, which is operated in conjunction
with the Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority. Six-month funding was awarded as
follows:
| Agency | Program | Award |
| Community Housing Network | North 22nd
Street Scattered Sites |
$52,361 $155,823 |
| YMCA of Central Ohio | Permanent Supportive Housing at 40 West Long Street | $145,096 |
| Sunshine Terrace | $169,017 |
Residents are pleased with
the quality of the housing and services.
Brenda Rider has been a resident of CHN’s supportive housing for the past
seven months. She started a book
club with other residents, helps write the monthly newsletter, and helps prepare
the community dinner held every Wednesday.
“Having this apartment is making a big difference in my life,” said Brenda. “I have my own place, but also have a lot of people around for support. The staff and the other residents get to be like family here. There’s no sense of ‘big you’ and ‘little me’ between the staff and residents. We all support each other.”
Brenda hasn’t
been homeless since she moved in, which is typical for residents who live in
supportive housing. According to an
evaluation conducted by the Community Shelter Board last month, both CHN and the
YMCA programs met or exceeded performance goals. In fact, housing success rates ranged
from 92% to 98% for all projects.
The report indicates that the right number of people are moving into
supportive housing, staying in their apartments without becoming homeless for
long periods, and receiving adequate support services while there.
Funding for Rebuilding Lives
is determined by the Rebuilding Lives Funder Collaborative. The Collaborative includes major public
and private-sector funding sources that pool funds to create housing and
supportive services to improve health, income, and housing stability for
residents. The Community Shelter
Board coordinates supportive housing efforts, and is fiscal agent for the
Collaborative. Under the Rebuilding
Lives plan, 355 units of supportive housing are operational with an additional
145 units in development.
While the City of Columbus
and other funding sources face difficult choices because of the slow economy,
the Community Shelter Board is hopeful that the Rebuilding Lives program will remain a
priority. The Rebuilding Lives plan
serves vulnerable residents who would likely require more expensive services if
left homeless. City Council Member
Charleta B. Tavares, who chairs the Health, Housing, and Human Services
Committee, also expressed her desire to keep the plan moving forward.
“Now more than ever it is
critical that we support our vulnerable citizens by providing safe, quality
supportive housing,” said Council Member Tavares.
The
Community Shelter Board, established in 1986, is a non-profit intermediary
organization that coordinates community based efforts, fosters collaboration,
and funds services to assist families and individuals in Central Ohio to resolve
their housing crisis. The Community
Shelter Board allocates $7.5 million annually to support programs at 17
agencies. Last year, these programs
served more than 11,000 individuals.
The Community Shelter Board is funded by the City of Columbus, the
Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the United Way of Central Ohio, the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State of Ohio, and other public
and private donors.
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