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What is the East Bay Coalition for the Homeless
The East Bay Coalition for the Homeless (EBCH), an East Bay Community Action Program, was founded in 1989 when community leaders, church groups and concerned citizens joined together to devise a strategy to meet the needs of the homeless population.
Since 1989, EBCH has been providing residential housing to RI homeless families with children. The units are in East Providence, Warren, and Bristol. The Coalition can serve up to twelve families in its Housing Program. Housing services include management and supportive services for a "continuum of care" approach to the needs of each family.
Our housing program provides apartments for homeless families with children combined with case management and supportive services. Length of stay depends upon each family’s needs and is also determined by compliance to program criteria. After completing the program, each family works with a case manager to locate permanent, safe, housing that is affordable for them. We have 3 apartments available for permanent housing at this time.
EBCH Fact Sheet
Since 1990, 89 families have entered the Coalition's Transitional Housing Program.
Since 1992, over 100 families have been placed in emergency shelter and assisted by the Coalition's
family advocate.
Since 1992, over 6,000 individuals have been assisted through information and referral procedures by
the Coalition. Many of them could be averted from homelessness through early intervention.
In 1991, the Coalition purchased its first three-family house in East Providence; in 1994/95 it
purchased two additional three-family houses in Warren and Bristol; a second East Providence
three-family was acquired in August 1998 and, after renovations, was completely occupied by 1999.
There are now twelve apartments available for homeless families.
Between August 1994 and July 2000, thirteen families participated in Almost Home, a tenant-based
rental assistance program that was a grant-based program ending in 2003. We are hoping for a
block grant to renew this helpful program in the future.
Families in our program have been able to access employment as certified nursing assistants,
registered nurses, accountants, teachers' aides, medical assistants, legal secretaries,
administrative assistants, dental hygienists, childcare workers, business managers and medical
secretaries. A few have even become business owners.
Why?
Sometimes people need help getting back on their feet. (Loss of job, lay off, insufficient income, illness, domestic violence). To give them time and a safe-space to accomplish their goals, the Coalition operates twelve transitional housing units in East Providence, Warren and Bristol that can be used for up to two years to help families break the cycles of poverty and homelessness.
Who are these families and how did they get to where they are:
The problem of homelessness in the area is linked primarily to families in crisis. Most of the homeless population are families with children, many of them single-parent families. Nationwide, more families with children become homeless each year than any other segment of the population.
The most frequent reasons for homelessness in the East Bay, as in the rest of the nation, are lack of affordable housing, unemployment, medical problems, family break-up and domestic violence. Meeting the needs of homeless families in the East Bay is challenging for both staff and volunteers.
Most families arrive at the East Bay Coalition for the Homeless in crisis and in debt. Families need not only shelter, but other basic human needs such as food and clothing, often including diapers and formula. Once these basic needs are met, families work closely with a Family Advocate (case manager) to identify the issues that led them to homelessness and the actions that can break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.
What is involved:
These families will have a case manager work with them to help with short term goals, assess long term goals and help them become more self-reliant.
We work with families on getting adequate child care and medical care. We help parents find full or part-time employment and examine avenues for education and job training.
We offer support with life skills, learning property and financial responsibility, including help with banking, property maintenance, and budgeting.
If families need furniture or clothing, we provide referrals to inexpensive sources.
Why is it so important to have case management?
Living in crisis and poverty can have a long-term impact on children, resulting in health problems and learning disabilities, as well as emotional problems. These issues are also among those addressed when families meet with their Family Advocate. Case management and supportive services are cornerstones to every family's success in the EBCH program, designed to provide appropriate support for each individual, as well as his/her nuclear family. We work with each family give them the tools to be self sufficient and close to the door to recurrences of homelessness down the road.
Does it cost the family?
As a family stabilizes, they would pay 30% of their income to help offset utility costs – Each family’s situation is evaluated and prior debt obligations are taken into consideration.
If you only receive 30% of what could be very little income in some instances, how do you pay for the heat, utilities and services you provide?
It’s not easy most of our funds come from federal and state grants. Last year our federal grant was cut by one third. To keep our programs viable, we must raise $75,000 in donations from individuals, foundations and other private sources this year. Most of the Coalition's financial support comes from federal, state and local grants, but it is never enough to fully fund program needs.
Who does the fundraising?
We have a very active Board, made up of folks from our community. They are an amazing, dedicated group. We hold two major fundraisers a year. The most well known is the East Bay Bike-A-Thon, this year the event with be held on September 16, 2006 at Colt State Park. In it’s 17th year now, it is a very successful event. People can, walk or bike or job the route.
The second major event is the “Welcome Home” Dinner and Auction held in the late spring. This year it will be June 15, 2006 at the Squantum Association in East Providence.
What’s next for the Coalition?
Ending homelessness is our ultimate goal. But there is a long road ahead. The Coalition would like to open that front door to stability and provide homeless families with a more permanent solution. Thereby, closing that back door, and ending the cycle. To do that, we would like to convert our transitional units into permanent support housing. Basically it is the same program, but a family would be allowed to stay permanently. Once they complete the program, they would sign a lease. The best part about that is case managers would remain available to assist families with any problems that may arise.
This is commonly referred to as a housing first model. As more agencies develop permanent supportive housing , there will be less of a need for emergency shelter beds. In the past, families move from emergency shelter, to transitional housing and then onto permanent housing. That could be 3 moves in three years for a young child. Emotionally, physically and academically the cost great… too great to continue that approach –
These costs not only affect the family, but our schools. Moving a child from school to school, costs in administrative time, not to mention the disruption in the classroom as children adjust to the new kid or loss of a “friend”. The cost of medical care is also affected by homelessness. When a family moves frequently, preventive health care is minimal at best. The cost to our health care system is increased due to the fact there are more frequent emergency visits.
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