The Homeless Continuum of Care of Stark County (HCCSC) is a coalition of individuals and organizations committed to ending homelessness in Stark County, Ohio. It’s very gratifying to see people who have so little but are still humble and appreciative. “We started talking about how to do it better.”, Why do you volunteer? In July, Stark County’s 24-hour homeless hotline received calls from 202 households, according to a report from the agency that oversees the hotline. Jean C. Van Ness, senior program officer/special projects for the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton, said while the count, which is part of the federally required annual Point-in-Time surveys, is valuable for year-to-year comparisons, it only serves as a snapshot for a specific period of time. In all of 2012, 2,023 households called the homeless hotline. The racial dynamics of homelessness continue to be stark. The number of chronically homeless has continued to decline in Stark County over the past two years, and homeless service providers are optimistic they can house all those who are chronically homeless by the end of 2017. Or they’ve moved to the county after being promised employment through the oil and gas business. Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton 400 Market Ave. N, Suite 300, Canton, 330-454-5800 scfcanton.org Provides funding to agencies that provide homeless services. About 2,800 people will become homeless in Stark County in 2015, according to the Homeless Continuum of Care. (WKBN) – At a time when Ohio’s overall homeless numbers climbed last year, figures in northeast Ohio are down. Even after she said it, (no one) at the table, said, ‘Hey, happy birthday.’ I said, ‘Good for you.’ … How sad because when you grow up in a house with a family, it’s a special day, and there’s a candle in something (cake, cupcake, etc. Crisis Intervention and Recovery Center • Recovery Center—832 McKinley Ave. NW, Canton • Crisis Intervention Center—2421 13th St. NW, Canton Crisis hotline: 330-452-6000 Business Number: 330-452-9812 circstark.org Provides permanent supportive housing for those with mental illness and substance abuse issues and after-hours coverage of the homeless hotline to link callers to emergency housing. All the amenities that they don’t get to experience, like a hair salon and spa services. If you are not sure where you’ll rest your head tonight, reach out today to find affordable housing. With your help Refuge of Hope can continue to provide the vital services needed for those who live in dire circumstances. The Stark County Homeless Services Collaborative (HSC) is a group of local agencies that work collaboratively to end homelessness in our community. Real Stories. Stark County receives approximately $2.1 million each year from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Continuum of Care Program to provide housing and services to homeless individuals and families. The most common reason people gave for being homeless was eviction or being asked to leave by family or friends. Area organizations can apply for a portion of the funding to help county residents who need food or aid those who struggle to pay their mortgages or rent. Crisis help line – 1-330-452-6000 . Real Hope and Encouragement. Today is my 14th birthday. She said, ‘I would love some dessert. Jean Van Ness, chair of the Homeless Continuum of Care of Stark County, said there is less affordable housing in the community — which she attributes to the oil and gas boom. Members of the Homeless Continuum of Care of Stark County are more realistic. Homelessness. One area of concern for local homeless service providers is the rising number of people who are at risk of homelessness. FIND HELP NOW. According to the most recent Point-in-Time count, the number of Stark County residents at imminent risk of becoming homeless has doubled since 2009—from 246 in 2009 to 563 in 2016. She said the continuum agreed to create a task force to coordinate the efforts of the local agencies and churches that already provide people help to prevent evictions and foreclosures. The community must conduct a Point-In-Time (PIT) count to … There are … Keaton said families account for a larger portion of the county’s homeless population and that the size of homeless families is growing — but she’s not sure why. Sometimes, Keaton said, people think they’re going to live with family, but it doesn’t work out. Stark County's Premiere Lifestyle Magazine. The federal government has said it wants to end homelessness by 2022 and has set benchmarks for communities across the nation to meet along the way. Shelter Listings is dedicated to serving the homeless and low-income. “There’s definitely a real need and an increase,” she said, “and we’re trying to identify as best as we can why that is happening. “Even if they burn bridges, we don’t give up on them.”. For years, the county has funneled funds into building housing facilities such as the one the Dicksons call home, in an effort to get people off the streets and out of shelters. A department of the Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery, the Stark County Homeless Hotline operates 24 hours per day, referring callers to appropriate shelters and other programs for the homeless or those at risk of homelessness after conducting an initial assessment interview. “We want to make some serious progress in a short amount of time — within a year or two — and see if we can reverse these trends,” Van Ness said, “and it’s an all-hands-on deck situation.”, « Local car dealers help with donations Meal Ministry Assistant position available at Refuge of Hope ». Called the Searing Project, the show provides searing images of homelessness in Stark County from the perspective of the young adults. Although the reasons for homelessness are complex and varied, experts generally agree that the 2008 recession is a major reason for the recent increase. Monday — Friday “I can’t lie to you, it’s very enjoyable. “We go back and try again and eventually, they make progress,” Keaton said. Last night, volunteers estimate that 4,505 of our neighbors in King County were without shelter, a 19% increase over 2015. Canton, Ohio 44704, Privacy Policy | Web Design by Cassel Bear | © 2021 Refuge of Hope, Meal Ministry Assistant position available at Refuge of Hope, Talking Hope with Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. ICAN Housing Solutions 1214 Market Ave. N, Canton, 330-455-9100 ican-inc.org Provides housing and emergency assistance to people with severe mental illness, and is the only housing provider that performs street outreach to identify people in need. Stark County – November 2018. For families and young people with limited income, affordable housing may seem out of reach. They are mothers, sons, former co-workers. YWCA of Alliance 239 E Market St., Alliance, 330-823-1840 allianceywca.org Operates low-cost transitional housing for women. “We knew as a group that prevention was so hard to do well,” Van Ness said. Black residents account for 8% of the population in Los Angeles County, but 34% of those who are homeless. But an unexpected surge of veterans needed housing occurred, causing the number of homeless veterans to rise to 16 when the Point-in-Time count was conducted in January. County Rate per 1,000 enrolled students Homeless students Total enrolled students Baker 47.9 175 3,654 Benton 28.5 259 9,095 Clackamas 19.2 1,147 59,688 Human Trafficking. And that estimate doesn’t include the number of people who are at risk of homelessness—a figure that has more than doubled over the past seven years. Or a real haircut?” Fete’s dream shelter also would include a fruit and vegetable stand, a pool, a library, flat-screen TVs, as well as large beds, clean sheets and warm showers. And the Stark County Emergency Food and Shelter Local Board got about $139,000 for county programs from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Kira Redinger, liaison between the local board and Community Services of Stark County. Poverty, hunger, and homelessness are major concerns in Stark County. The collaborative consists of approximately 50 agencies that provide direct service to homeless clients. I don’t think anyone one day woke up and said I think I’m going to try homeless.”. According to new data released by the 2019 Annual Homelessness … And they’re working to crunch the numbers to learn about the subpopulations of homeless in the county now. That they’re dangerous and scammers.” Fete, whose mother left when he was an infant and whose father died just before his 15th birthday, said people often don’t take the time to learn about the circumstances behind why someone becomes homeless. One night when I was passing out plates of food, I asked one girl if she wanted some dessert. Oct. 17, 2020. I probably get more pleases and thank yous in that room than I ever heard working hot lunch in my youngster’s parochial elementary school way back when.”, How would you describe the people who you meet at the shelter? A January 2013 study prepared by Ohio University found Stark County hadn’t seen a major change in housing as a result of shale well drilling but predicted Canton and Alliance might lure workers from outside the county because of the amount of available housing. Steps included creating more housing options, educating people on how to prevent homelessness, increasing incomes for people in danger of becoming homeless and streamlining county services. Most of them have little to no health care. “We thank God every day for this building,” Tina Dickson said, “or we wouldn’t have a family.”. “We’re working toward a system that doesn’t have a big backlog and that can rapidly rehouse people who become homeless.”. The count also identifies the numbe r of people who are no longer homeless but who are relying on housing assistance and supportive services — and the number of people who are likely to become homeless because of their housing situations. But annual counts show homelessness has steadily increased in Stark County since 2009, despite the addition of … Blog. Stark County Rape Crisis Hotline anytime at 330-452-1111; Alliance Rape Crisis Hotline anytime at 330-821-RAPE (7273) Stark County Homeless Hotline anytime at 330-452-4363; Stark County Opiate Hotline anytime at 330-454-HELP (4357) for community information, education, support and connection to services. There’s a selfish part of me that gets more out of the experience than those folks we’re serving. The point-in-time counts for the county indicate the number of people living in permanent supportive housing has gone up by about 100 since 2009. Tina Dickson, 44, and Terry Dickson, 43, were homeless for about two years until they moved into an Alliance supportive housing complex in 2011. “As you can see, that hasn’t really worked here,” Keaton said. During the past several years, county organizations have designed programs that were supposed to help eradicate homelessness. In its essence, hope is the realization that there is something better than events experienced and time spent in seemingly hopeless situations. Between 2017 and 2018 the population of Stark County, OH declined from 372,542 to 371,574, a -0.26% decrease and its median household income grew from $50,984 to $52,068, a 2.13% increase. Agencies also have ramped up their efforts to provide what’s known as “rapid rehousing,” where families and individuals who are residing in an emergency or transitional shelter are given financial help to obtain housing until their situation stabilizes. “We have had a number of folks that have come here for jobs in the industry and ended up homeless,” she said. The county with the highest population in the area is Peoria County with a population of 184,463 compares as markedly bigger. Each agency signs an agreement for joint provision of services on an annual basis. Stark County Mental Health & Addiction Recovery 121 Cleveland Ave. SW, Canton, 330-455-6644 starkmhar.org Provides funding to agencies that serve people who are homeless and operates the Homeless Hotline, which refers callers to appropriate shelters and other programs for the homeless. McCleskey said next year continuum members hope to update the strategic plan to end homelessness by including more specific goals backed up by data. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development stresses spending money on housing, Van Ness said, so the county also has added permanent supportive housing — long-term housing coupled with services, often for people struggling with mental illness, disabilities or substance abuse. Hope is a fragile thing. Learn about local resources and apartment communities that offer low-rent or subsidized housing in Stark County. ‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’ The report also said there has been a decrease in subsidized housing because landlords could charge higher rents for apartments. Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority 400 Tuscarawas St. E, Canton, 330-454-8051 starkmha.org Operates more than 2,500 affordable housing units and provides housing vouchers and other financial help for people who are homeless. Suicide. Plans to reduce homelessness extend beyond funding programs. Why is homelessness on the rise? “We’re never going to achieve zero,” Van Ness said. As of January 2019, Ohio had an estimated 10345 experiencing homelessness on any given day, as reported by Continuums of Care to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She said they often aren’t used to living in four walls or sleeping on a bed, so they sometimes will leave the house to return to the more familiar streets. Refuge of Hope 405 Third St. NE, Canton, 330-453-1785 refugeofhope.org Provides emergency shelter for adult men and free meals to those in need. Anchor House 333 E Market St., Alliance, 918-994-2836 anchorhousealliance.org Provides food and clothing to the homeless through the faith-based nonprofit organization. Jennifer Keaton, administrator of the county’s homeless management information system, said, from what she sees, the county is “a magnet” for the homeless, attracting both newcomers and people returning after being elsewhere. But despite official acknowledgments that systemic racism is driving homelessness ... and Latinos make up half the population in the county ... “Homelessness is the most deadly and stark … In 2018, Stark County, OH had a population of 372k people with a median age of 42 and a median household income of $52,068. She said the county needs more buildings and more funding to provide services. Yet, homelessness is ever present locally, at times taxing local social service agencies and filling emergency and temporary shelters to capacity. Stark County, OH list of housing resources we have uncovered: Homeless Shelters, Supportive Housing, Halfway Housing, Transitional Housing, Day Shelters, Low Income Housing, Residential Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers. Hear Real Voices. Our numbers are growing more every day. The plan has seven planning areas that address accessing resources, promoting collaboration among service providers and building the capacity of SCHC to bring about change in our community. The facility the Dicksons live in features a clinic, counseling rooms, study rooms and a multipurpose room — which means many of the services residents need are available just outside the doors of their homes. To be eligible for Homelessness Prevention services operated by Participating Agencies, individuals and families must: a) Be residents of Stark County with funding targeted towards the residents outside of the City ofCanton; b) Be ineligible for system diversion; YWCA Canton 231 Sixth St. NE, Canton, 330-453-7644 ywcacanton.org Provides emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing, homeless prevention services and tools to help the homeless find and keep housing as well as become self-sufficient. 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