PHOTO BY GEORGE SHUBA
Case manager Priscilla Franklin discussed the particulars of participation in the Zaccheaus Project with Decontee Solo last week.
Case manager Priscilla Franklin discussed the particulars of participation in the Zaccheaus Project with Decontee Solo last week.
Zacchaeus Project helps homeless people
end street life
CLEVELAND-It’s not easy trying to keep children in school and holding a job or looking for work while living on the street. In fact, it’s nearly impossible.
The West Side Catholic Center, as part of its mission to end homelessness, is addressing such issues through its newly established Zacchaeus Project.
The project is a tenant-based rental assistance program that, coupled with case management, helps homeless people secure and maintain permanent housing.
“When we looked at those in shelters, they would come to us for help, but often returned to us,” said Jerry Skoch, the center’s executive director. “In 2007, we started to look at what we could do to help end homelessness in Cleveland, which is what led to the Zacchaeus Project.”
The project is aimed to help those considered episodically or situationally homeless, as opposed to the chronically homeless. The relative lack of resources to address this segment of the homeless population is the impetus for the project.
Studies have shown that 80 percent of the resources allocated for homeless services is consumed by the chronically homeless, who make up about 10 percent of the homeless population. “Social services costs are less if people have a home,” Skoch said.
Skoch points out that the idea of providing rent subsidies to homeless people to help them find permanent housing isn’t new. But it was the solution that fit the center’s goals and budget.
“We could buy a building and house the homeless. It’s one of many solutions, but we learned there were many more options as we did research. Studies show with housing problems addressed, the other problems the homeless have can be addressed,” Skoch explained.
Welcoming people to a home and then addressing any problems has parallels to the story of Zacchaeus in the New Testament.
“Jesus welcomed Zacchaeus into his life and then Zacchaeus addressed his problems,” Skoch said. “Not the other way around.”
Operating a building would mean the center would need to raise the funds for the purchase in addition to renovating and operating it. Skoch said the center did not necessarily want to be come a landlord.
“There are plenty of rental properties throughout the Cleveland area, so we decided to give a rent subsidy,” Skoch said. “If we gave the homeless help and provided case management, it could allow them to live in whatever area of the county they wanted.”
In that way, someone could choose to live wherever near employment or close to family members.
The arrangement calls for one-third of a participant’s income to cover rent, paid to the West Side Catholic Center, which in turn pays the landlord. The other two-thirds remains with the individual.
While the goal is to help end homelessness in Cleveland, the project targets those homeless people who can be employed, said Priscilla Franklin, case manager for the Zacchaeus Project.
“We screen the applicants, what type of jobs they’ve had, what they can do, do drug screening and have a background check,” Franklin said.
Skoch, however, points out that failing the drug screening doesn’t eliminate someone from participation in the project. “It’s a matter of trust,” he said. “If they tell us they don’t do drugs and then the drug screening shows they do, there’s a problem.”
The first four families to enter the program should move into their homes this month.
The project, which is one-year in duration, should be able to help 10 families at a cost of $100,000. The costs are underwritten by the Community West Foundation.
“It was a help leap of faith on their part,” Skoch said. “I give them credit for the courage to do this, particularly to David Dombrowiak (executive director of Community West Foundation) and Dr. Ted Castele (chairman of the board of directors). They are our angels.”
Miklosovic is a freelance writer.
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