Homeless to Homes
The Homeless to Homes Plan is a transformative initiative in Cincinnati to help the homeless move back into housing through coordinated, high-quality shelters and services. Prior to implementation of the Homeless to Homes plan, shelters offered poor restroom facilities, dense sleeping quarters, and outdated kitchens, making it difficult for homeless providers to care for their clients. Landlocked sites prevented the expansion needed to offer daytime programs, meeting rooms, medical services and clinics. Clients often had to exit onto the streets during the day and received limited assistance in finding their way back to housing.
Project Summary
The Plan's MAIN recommendations were to reconfigure and improve the quality of services at homeless shelters, and to dramatically increase the amount of permanent supportive housing available in the community to help clients make the transition out of homelessness. Strategies to End Homelessness, four shelter operators, and development partner 3CDC worked together to upgrade Cincinnati's homeless facilities through the Homeless to Homes Implementation Plan. The five new and upgraded facilities now serve different populations among single homeless individuals:
- Lighthouse Youth Center: a new 12,000 SF facility with 30 shelter beds for homeless young adults age 18-24 has been operating on Highland Avenue since January 2012.
- Talbert House Parkway Center: the Parkway Center, operating since July 2012 on Central Parkway, is a 65-bed shelter for homeless men with substance abuse and mental health issues.
- Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women: single homeless women are now being served in a new 20,000 SF, 60-bed facility on Reading Road designed to meet their unique needs. The shelter was completed and ready for occupancy in June 2015.
- City Gospel Mission: a new 110-bed, 63,000-SF facility in Queensgate was recently built to serve homeless individuals seeking a faith-based, service-enriched program. The two-building campus was completed in July 2015.
- David and Rebecca Barron Center for Men: this new 79,000-SF "safe-shelter" facility with 150 beds, which was finished in October 2015, serves the population of single homeless men who are often turned away from other facilities.
Project Funding
Nearly $11 million (or roughly 26%) of the Homeless to Homes capital campaign was raised through private grants and donations from foundations and individuals. Without the support of the following groups and people, the Homeless to Homes shelters would not have been possible:
| Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation^ CareSource Foundation^ Carol Ann & Ralph V. Haile, Jr. / U.S. Bank Foundation# Charlotte R. Schmidlapp Trust, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee^ Chemed Foundation Christ Church Cathedral Cincinnati Bengals Collins Inkjet Corporation David & Rebecca Barron Deaconess Associations Foundation Duke Energy Corporation Farmer Family Foundation Fenci Family Fund of GCF Francie & John Pepper |
Fred & Jane Herzner Fund of GCF Greater Cincinnati Foundation Guardian Savings Bank & Union Savings Bank HGC Construction Hamilton County Indigent Care Levy^ Hatton Foundation Helen Steiner Rice Fund of GCF^ Heyse Family Fund of GCF Interact for Health^ Jacob G. Schmidlapp Trusts, Fifth Third Bank, Trustee John A. Schroth Family Charitable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee Kroger Company LKC Foundation Louise Taft Semple Foundation |
Lynn Marmer & Gene Beauprè Marge & Charles J. Schott Foundation Mary Kay and Gene Gardner Family Fund Mercy Health^ Ohio National Financial Services P&G Fund of GCF PNC Charitable Trust# Scripps Howard Foundation Sisters of Charity Skyline Chili, Inc. Spaulding Foundation Susan & Joseph Pichler United Way of Greater Cincinnati^ Western & Southern Financial Fund, Inc. |
^Contributed funds to ongoing operating costs
#Contributed funds to capital and operating costs