“Housing Policy Helps End
Homelessness”
COLUMBUS, OHIO, October 28, 2003—Simple logic would
suggest that housing is the solution to homelessness. While the logic may be simple, the task
of making sure housing is available for homeless families and individuals is
very complicated. Creating housing
requires tremendous investments of time, energy, and resources from a wide range
of community partners. Planning and
coordinating efforts to develop housing is one of the most important
responsibilities of the Community Shelter Board (CSB) in Columbus and Franklin
County. Housing policy was the main
area of discussion at CSB’s October Board of Trustees meeting, held on Monday at
the new Commons at Grant supportive housing development in downtown
Columbus.
“We want to concentrate on the
real solutions to homelessness, which are housing, employment, and being part of
the community,” said Floyd Jones, Chair of CSB’s Board of Trustees. “Our housing policy goals are to make
sure housing is available when people leave a shelter, to make sure they have
support services in place, and to help folks integrate with the community so
they will not become homeless in the future.”
CSB’s housing policy calls
for an increasing amount of resources to be used for housing, especially for
people with persistent problems with homelessness. A $3.3 million grant from the federal
government recently awarded to Columbus and Franklin County will help accomplish
that objective. CSB Executive
Director Barbara Poppe and Advisory Council Member Holly S. Kastan recently
traveled to Washington, DC to accept the award, which will create 80 new units of
permanent supportive housing for people who have experienced long-term
homelessness and severe mental disability.
The
grant provides funding for partnerships and services in the community to help
residents maintain housing and improves access to healthcare. Partners in the grant program, known as
the Rebuilding Lives Program of Assertive Community Treatment Initiative,
include Columbus Metropolitan Housing Authority, Columbus Neighborhood Health
Centers Inc., Community Housing Network, Community Research Partners, Community
Shelter Board, the Corporation for Supportive Housing, Franklin County
Department of Job & Family Services, Southeast Inc., and Chalmers P. Wylie
VA Outpatient Clinic.
The
grant helps accomplish the goals of the Rebuilding Lives plan, a community
strategy to solve the problem of long-term homelessness by developing more
effective housing, employment, and shelter services. The Rebuilding Lives plan calls for the
creation of 800 units of supportive housing for people who have experienced
long-term homelessness and disabling conditions. CSB and the community are more than
halfway toward accomplishing the goal, making steady progress even in the midst
of difficult economic times.
Program evaluations show that Rebuilding Lives residents are maintaining
housing and not returning to shelters.
CSB’s housing policy was
highlighted by having the October Board meeting at the Commons at Grant, one of
the newest housing developments to open in downtown Columbus. The Commons at Grant provides 100
apartments for residents with low income, including some who were formerly
homeless. Several residents of the
new program attended the CSB meeting and shared their experiences with the Board
of Trustees.
Resident, Terry Waring, shared about the stability of
the Commons at Grant. “My husband
passed away and I had a choice to make:
either drink my sorrows away or move forward with my life. The services I received first at
Maryhaven and now at the Commons at Grant are teaching me how to live on my own
in a sober environment. It’s great
to live in a wonderful place that is safe, clean, and secure. I have a job in retail sales again. I am just pinching myself because I
can’t believe it’s happening.”
The
Commons at Grant opened its doors in late July and is almost fully rented. The state-of-the-art facility is owned
and operated by National Church Residences, a Columbus-based affordable housing
developer. The Commons at Grant
provides supportive services in addition to housing to help residents find
employment and participate in community-based activities and services.
Another resident, Denise
Cornett, offers hope to others.
“Each of us has special gifts and abilities. The Commons at Grant gives me the
opportunity to not only take care of myself, but to help other people share
their gifts and talents. Rebuilding
your life is achievable—if I can do it, anybody can do
it.”
The
CSB Board of Trustees offered thanks to the residents for sharing their
experiences. The Board also thanked
the Commons at Grant project sponsors, including the City of Columbus, Franklin
County Board of Commissioners, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development,
and the Columbus Foundation, among other partners.
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 13 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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