City of Atlanta HPRP: A Success Story that Reflects a
Successful Collaboration
Mr. C was referred to us by United Way. He had been living in his van for 4 months during the winter - 4 months of cold, snow, rain with nothing to protect him from the elements except his vehicle; which didn’t always have enough gas to run the heater. When he came in for his assessment, he shared with me that his journey to homelessness began after his wife’s death in 2008. Mr. C had worked for a local company for over 20 years, but had to quit working in order to take care of his wife as she was diagnosed with kidney cancer. His wife passed away after a year-long battle with her illness. After her death, faced with the medical bills from her care and dialysis, he was forced to sell the home they had shared for over 20 years.
During this time due to stress, he suffered a heart attack and was approved for disability income equal to only half of his former income. He was able to move in with a friend until the friend had to relocate out-of-state to help a family member who had become ill. Embarrassed by his homeless situation, he did not make his children aware of his dilemma. When he was finally evicted from his condo, he moved his belongings to a storage unit and began the 4 month stay in his van.
During his intake, he stated he had been approved for an apartment that fit his income and would not need housing relocation services. He had already paid the security deposit from his SSI check and just needed help with his 1st month’s rent and electric deposit. However, when it came time to complete the required housing inspection, we knew we could not have him move to this location. There were abandoned vehicles, obvious drug traffic, burned out and boarded up buildings. When we called to tell him that we just couldn’t allow him to live somewhere so un-safe, he confided that he did not want to live there but thought it was all he could get. When the apartment complex refused to refund the “refundable deposit” we went to the complex the same day to advocate on his behalf. His deposit of $400 was returned to him 4 days later. We were able to have him approved for a much safer and affordable community where he is able to maintain and thrive in his new permanent housing. He is close to his friends, family, and the hospital where is still receives monthly medical care.
Through his work with HPRP CaringWorks case manager, Erin Robinson, Mr. C is still housed in his apartment and has successfully completed the program.
The partnership between CaringWorks and PCCI has created an HPRP program that has successfully assisted 13 homeless families (YTD); 31 individuals, over half of which are children, within the city of Atlanta, move into and maintain permanent, safe, and affordable housing. PCCI provides the comprehensive housing assessment, program application, and funds disbursement while CaringWorks, Inc. provides the 6 months of case management services available to each client. Case Manager, Ms. Robinson, utilizes her social work degree and case management background to work with each family in creating a personalized
case-plan to assist with budgeting, debt resolution, financial life skills, and additional resource information. It’s wonderful to be part of a partnership where each agency holds the same values and dedication to serve the homeless population. There is no doubt there will be more success stories to share throughout this collaborative effort.
PCCI Goes to Washington- Again!
Danielle Brown, PCCI Housing Advocate, attends the 2010
National Conference on Ending Homelessness
For the second consecutive year Danielle Brown represented Project Community Connections, Inc. at the annual National Conference on Ending Homeless in Washington DC. This year the conference was held from July 11th to July 14th. Each year, the conference, which is sponsored by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, provides an opportunity to those who serve the nations' homeless population to come together to participate in numerous workshops and round table discussions regarding current trends, congressional interventions, and new programs. The hope is that these meetings will be one additional step in solving the current homelessness crisis in the United States. Also attending from Atlanta were current PCCI partners, The United Way and Quest 35.
The major themes of the conference included: 1. Passing of the HEARTH Act (the first major reform of HUD's homeless assistance programs in nearly two decades.); 2. The passage of a provision by congress for a more encompassing definition of homelessness that is designed to expand the numbers within the homeless population that will have access to and be eligible for services; 3. The federal five year plan to end veteran homelessness; 4. Measures to end homelessness among the nation’s school children.
The Honorable Shaun Donovan, Secretary of the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development, gave the keynote address at the annual conference luncheon. Danielle reports that his determination and enthusiasm remains unsurpassed as he speaks about the current administration's focus on ending homelessness, especially among veterans. The current HPRP (Homeless Prevention Rapid Re-Housing Program) is currently HUD’s strongest tool in the
fight against homelessness since F.D.R.’s administration and was made possible
through the commitment of stimulus funds provided through the current administration. Secretary Donovan pledged his commitment to working with non-profits in the field each step of the way until there is no longer an American
without a place to call home.
The conference concluded with the much anticipated Capitol Hill visits. This is the time dedicated for each of the conference attendees to visit their respective state senators and representatives. In 2009, Danielle had the pleasure of meeting with Georgia State Representative Jon Barrow (D- 12 district, Savannah/Augusta), Representative John Lewis (5th-District, Atlanta, Decatur), and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA). This year, she visited each office again. Although Rep. Lewis was not able to meet with her personally this year, she was able to visit with one of his aides to report on how PCCI has been assisting the homeless population throughout Georgia, especially Rep. Lewis's constituents within the Atlanta and Decatur area. Danielle was able to report that PCCI’s services have also assisted residents who are facing homelessness due to the current foreclosure crisis to move into other permanent housing. Rep. Lewis’ office expressed gratitude for PCCI’s continued dedication and service to the homeless population in the Atlanta area.
Danielle felt that the conference has further enabled her to gather new tools and information to better serve her clients. She stated, “Attending forums like the National Conference on Ending Homelessness fuels my passion for public policy building and advocacy.
Project Community Connections, Inc. Brings Hope to DeKalb County Resident
Spring 2010
Margaret (name changed to protect her identity) celebrated a wonderful birthday on January 29th, the day she moved into an apartment she now calls home. Faced with the challenge of unemployment, Margaret was left with no choice but to file for bankruptcy, leading to the foreclosure of her home in 2009. With previous work experience in the telecommunications field, she has been in search of a new place of employment in order to afford the upfront costs necessary to purchase a new place to live. In desperate need of a permanent residence, Margaret had been living in extended-stay hotels for almost a year. After being advised by the DeKalb County Commissioner’s office, Margaret contacted Chris Morris, Director of the Community Development Department, in desperate need for help.
The Development Department referred her to Jimiyu Evans, Housing Advocate, at Project Community Connections. Project Community Connections, Inc. specializes in connecting its clients with a place to call home. PCCI assists individuals and families experiencing homelessness with permanent housing placements and connections to mainstream resources. Jimiyu was pleased to be able to help Margaret to find an affordable apartment of her own on Covington Highway. She is thankful and relieved to finally be in her new home, and moving in on her birthday made January 29th even more wonderful for her. She said, “It has been a long road for me to have to live for almost a year without a place to call my own. I was excited when PCCI accepted me and was able to help.”
Margaret has recently passed her initial employment test with the U.S. Census
bureau, and hopes to acquire new employment in the near future. She is very appreciative of the efforts made to help her gain stable residency, and her story is just one example of the many success stories that have been a product of the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program. “Knowing who to contact helped me so much. It is good to know there is always someone to call for help and there is always hope.”
Decatur Cooperative Ministry and Project Community Connections, Inc. Join Forces to Keep Families Housed
June 2010
Decatur Cooperative Ministry (DCM) and Project Community Connections Inc. (PCCI) officially formed a partnership last fall to combine resources and better address the needs of homeless and almost families.
The housing situation is becoming more pressing than ever given the current foreclosure crisis and economic recession that are catapulting many children and their parents out of their homes and on to the streets.
With DCM as the lead agency, the two organizations received a Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing stimulus grant of $673,579 from DeKalb County, which will last through mid-2011. This services offered through the partnership, combined with DCM's existing shelter and transitional housing programs, allow DCM and PCCI to help families who find themselves at different points along the homelessness continuum.
Margaret Schuelke, Executive Director of PCCI and Decatur resident, said, "We strongly believe that, together, we have the combined expertise to help ameliorate this problem in Decatur and DeKalb County."
Reducing the number of homeless students attending our schools
According to the 2008 report entitled, "Supportive Housing: An At-Risk and Homeless Plan for DeKalb County," there were 1,490 students enrolled in the DeKalb County School System and 111 enrolled in City Schools of Decatur who were officially reported as homeless during the 2007-2008 school year. Workers responsible for the reporting process noted that this count is significantly under the actual number as most students and parents do not want their homeless status identified. Additionally, the DeKalb Board of Education identified 134 homeless students living in weekly stay hotels. These students were identified by cross referencing the addresses of the hotels and by monitoring the number of students who ride the school bus from these locations.
These statistics alone make a compelling case for why taking new and creative steps to address homelessness is absolutely necessary. However, a statistic from the 2009 State Report Card on Homelessness creates an even greater sense of urgency. According to the report, less than 25% of homeless students in Georgia graduate from high school. This statistic highlights what many people already know well - that homelessness has long-lasting, negative effects on the educational outcomes of children and youth.
Producing Results
The partnership between DCM and PCCI has proven fruitful. The following story is a wonderful example of just what the organizations are able to accomplish when working together. Through a referral from a local school system's Homeless Liaison, a young woman contacted the PCCI office looking for assistance in February 2010. She was staying in an extended stay hotel, but she was being threatened with imminent eviction and was in need of immediate help. Like so many others in the county, this woman lost her home after being ‘downsized' at work. So for the past year, she had been employed intermittently through a temporary agency or relied on unemployment during the periods in which she could not find work.
Unfortunately, neither source of income was sufficient to manage even her meager expenses so she continued to spiral into debt. As a result, she had been told that hotel security would be coming that night to lock her - and her son - out of the room. She needed to make sure that he had safe and secure housing and that he was able to get to school.
PCCI's Housing Advocate connected with the manager at Hagar's House, DCM's shelter for women with children, who informed him that they had a room for this woman and her son. During the intake process, PCCI and DCM agreed to co-manage the case to ensure a smooth and rapid transition from the shelter to a permanent housing situation. Although the family could not continue to stay at the hotel, they moved directly into the shelter and did not have to worry about where they would sleep and how the son would get to school the next day.
Today is a new day and the future looks much brighter for this family. During her time at Hagar's House, the mom secured full-time employment - no small feat in the current economy. She has attended financial management and budget counseling sessions at DCM, and with the help and support of PCCI, she located permanent, affordable housing. The family moved into their home in April and are doing well.
"Safe, permanent housing is the foundation on which families build stability and community, "says Beth Vann, DCM Executive Director. "With adequate funding, good partnerships, and strong community support, we truly can find solutions to homelessness, one family at a time."
Together, DCM and PCCI have used the stimulus funds to re-house or prevent homelessness for a total of 88 households in DeKalb County between December 2009 and May 2010. DCM kept 46 households from losing their homes, and PCCI has placed 42 households back in permanent housing.
http://www.decaturnewsonline.com/article_2e1bb196-6e5b-11df-93bb-001cc4c002e0.html
