2368 Victory Parkway, Suite 600
Cincinnati, OH 45206
Homelessness Prevention
Strategies to End Homelessness leads the coordinated community effort to end homelessness in Greater Cincinnati and envisions a community in which everyone has a stable home and the resources needed to maintain it. Strategies to End Homelessness prevents homelessness whenever possible, assists people out of homelessness, and offers solutions to homelessness through housing, serving more than 12,000 people annually.
The Dater Foundation supported Homelessness Prevention, which consists of Central Access Point, a helpline that anyone experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness can call to get assistance by being placed in shelters and other homeless programs; and Shelter Diversion, which prevents households from experiencing homelessness by providing short-term rental assistance paired with case management services. In 2019 Central Access Point had 3,657 callers, and 1,675 of them were families. Shelter Diversion served 181 families (509 children) with 96% of those families maintaining housing stability for at least 12 months.
A Homelessness Prevention Success Story …
Cynthia, a single mother of two young children, was staying with a relative to avoid being homeless, but could only stay temporarily. She called Central Access Point to inquire about services available to her family and was placed into the Shelter Diversion program. This meant that she and her children could avoid homelessness and move directly into an apartment.
While in the Shelter Diversion program, Cynthia completed HUD approved budgeting and credit classes, and her Shelter Diversion Case Manager helped her secure beds and furnishings for her family. Due to Cynthia’s fixed-income on disability benefits, the Case Manager helped her apply for and obtain a Housing Choice Voucher through CMHA. Furthermore, with the stability the program provided, Cynthia secured a part-time position at a local call center. Cynthia and her family exited the Shelter Diversion program with long-term, stable housing and increased income.