On February 13, 2023, Creating Housing Coalition came within 5% of the funding goal for Hub City Village with the acquisition of a $1.6 million grant from the Oregon Health Authority (OHA). As one of just eight organizations in the state to be awarded this grant, we are truly honored to be selected to further the work of supporting the most vulnerable in our community. Of the twenty-seven tiny homes to be built in the village, eight will be reserved for those with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI) for the time of twenty years, as specified in the grant.
Board members Danielle Hutchinson and Stacey Bartholomew collaborated extensively on this grant application after learning of it from partner organization Crossroads Communities in Lebanon. Grant applications can be as simple as one page all the way up to more than twenty pages with several attachments required. OHA was on the more involved side, taking around forty-plus hours to complete. This grant was special in that it was funding the housing of persons with SPMI, specifically depression, anxiety, and PTSD. With over 85% of homeless reporting PTSD symptoms or diagnosis, we knew that this was viable funding for us.
We were able to demonstrate our qualifications for this award through three contributing factors. First were our continued partnerships with Intercommunity Health Network (IHN) and Linn County Mental Health (LCMH). IHN gave us our first grant to make a difference in the health and well-being of the unhoused. LCMH is our primary partner in referring and supporting residents with case management services. The two other factors are based on the policies set in place for the village. A certified peer support specialist will live on-site to offer facilitation of services, health navigation, and conflict mediation. Residents will be part of the cooperative and must engage in the management of the village to live there. This will create the opportunity to build natural supports, increase skills, and provide structure for growth potential for residents.
CHC has been awarded 80% of all the grant funding it has applied for, which is extraordinary! At this time we foresee looking to donors and possibly additional grants for the final monies needed to take us over the finish line. We are also pursuing grants for outreach efforts and supporting the employees who administer aid to the unhoused and support rehousing efforts for our most vulnerable.
As always, we are so grateful to all those who provide support in countless ways! We are looking forward to continuing our work with service partners Linn County Mental Health, Community Services Consortium, Intercommunity Health Network, and all our construction partners as we watch our dream become reality!