HOUSING THE HOMELESS - THE INTERFAITH COUNCIL'S GOOD WORKS

Louise explained that CCIH was founded in 1997 and is operated by 14 interfaith organizations.  The mission of CCIH is to provide permanent, affordable housing and vital support services to homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Contra Costa County. CCIH partners with affordable housing developers to provide a combination of housing that is affordable to extremely low income Contra Costa residents and on-site support services that help to stabilize and build self-sufficiency.  

The first project developed by CCIH was the Garden Park Apartments that were opened in 2004 in Pleasant Hill.  The Garden Park apartment complex is home to 27 formerly homeless families. Many of these families have lived on the streets and in shelters, and their children have moved from school to school.  Many have never had stable housing.  Families pay 30% of their gross income for rent and hold a lease; they may live at Garden Park for as long as they need to, providing they meet the requirements of their lease.  CCIH co-owns Garden Park Apartments with Mercy Housing California.  Garden Park Apartments opened in December 2004 and is the first and only permanent supportive housing program that is designated for all formerly homeless families with parents who have disabilities.

Garden Park Apartments reduces the number of nights that individuals spend in shelters or on the streets in Contra Costa County by 25,000 nights per year.  The on-site support services we provide help high-risk families stabilize and become healthy families and contributing members of society.  Since 2004, over 90% of their tenants have remained permanently housed.  CCIH measures many indicators of self-reliance and youth success.  To date, 100% of the formerly homeless high school students who have lived at Garden Park Apartments have completed high school.

The Garden Park Apartments program costs approximately $23,000 per year per family – for both the subsidized housing and all support services.  By comparison, it costs California taxpayers $50,000 per inmate per year to be housed in state prisons. It is estimated that Garden Park Apartments has saved millions of dollars in high-cost services such as criminal justice, crisis centers, shelters, emergency room visits, and child welfare – by providing affordable housing and services.

Other projects of CHIH include the Bella Monte Apartments, a 52 unit apartment complex located in Bay Point,  and Los Medanos Village, a 71 unit apartment complex located in Pittsburg.  Both of these sites are owned by Resources for Community Development (RCD).  These programs offer affordable housing to low-income families.  CCIH offers afterschool programs, case management, and mental health services to these families and their children with the goals of helping them remain housed, increase self-reliance, and succeed academically. CCIH also operates Lakeside Apartments in Concord. Lakeside is a 124 unit affordable housing program owned by RCD.  Beginning this fall, CCIH started providing case management and youth enrichment services to this predominately Spanish speaking local community.

CCIH’s newest program. Is an HIV/AIDS Housing Advocacy Program. CCIH assists people living with HIV/AIDS to secure permanent housing and provides support services to help them to remain stable in housing. 

Louise invited members of the club to participate in the great work that CCIH does by volunteering or by making a tax-deductible contribution to them.  For more information see the CCIH website at http://ccinterfaithhousing.org.