CSH Initiatives and Products: Supportive Housing Institute

For Immediate Release

Media Contacts:
Delia Hernández, OHCS, [email protected]
Jesse Dean, CSH, [email protected]

SALEM, OR – Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) announced nine innovative projects that emerged from the fourth Oregon Supportive Housing Institute (SHI). A CSH initiative, the SHI is designed to increase the pipeline and supply of quality affordable housing paired with comprehensive support services.

The nine project teams from across the state met over five-months for intensive training and technical assistance to develop permanent supportive housing (PSH) projects. Permanent supportive housing is a national model that effectively serves individuals and families experiencing long-term homelessness. By providing on-site, individualized services, PSH leads to cost savings in public systems, particularly within healthcare and justice systems, and long-term housing stability for vulnerable households.

“The projects coming out of this year’s SHI is such a recognition that none of us do big things by ourselves,” said OHCS Director Andrea Bell. “Each of you doing the work individually and collectively model for the nation what is possible when we work together to serve our beloved communities.”

The 2023 Oregon SHI projects focus on developing high quality homes for households experiencing long-term homelessness. Some projects are specifically designed for seniors, Veterans, people living with mental illness, Latino/a/x communities, Tribal members, immigrants, and refugees. Also, there are several projects serving rural communities throughout the state.

As Rae Trotta, CSH Senior Program Manager said to the project teams today, “Supportive housing is a true commitment among yourselves and your community.”

After the launch of the SHI in 2019, PSH expertise and developer capacity greatly expanded and has led to a significant increase in PSH development across Oregon. Thirty-six teams have graduated from the SHI since 2019, resulting in 657 new PSH homes approved for funding by the Oregon Housing Stability Council.

Projects coming out of this year’s institute include:

Team	Location
REACH	Portland, OR
Related NW Quantum Residential Impact NW	Portland, OR
Cascadia Behavioral Health	Gresham, OR
North West Equity Group Veterans Village Malheur County Community in Action Housing Authority Ontario	Ontario, OR
Central City Concern	Portland, OR
DCM Communities North Bend Housing Authority Coos Health and Wellness Cascade Management Devereux Center	North Bend, OR
Centro Cultural	Beaverton, OR
Bienestar Northwest Real Estate Capital Corp.	Hillsboro, OR
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council Mid-Columbia Center for Living Cascade Housing Corp./Housing Authority	The Dalles, OR

“Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is an incredible partner to CSH and the people of Oregon. Their commitment to increasing the supply of affordable and supportive housing across the state has helped so many individuals and families achieve stability and thrive in their communities,” said CSH President and CEO, Deborah De Santis.

About Oregon Supportive Housing Institute

The Oregon Supportive Housing Institute (SHI) is a signature initiative of Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) in collaboration with and support from Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS). Since its start in the state, 36 teams have participated in the Oregon SHI that has resulted in 657 new permanent supportive housing units. The Oregon SHI has had broad statewide representation from every region in Oregon.

About Oregon Housing and Community Services

Oregon Housing and Community Services provides resources for Oregonians to reduce poverty and increase access to stable housing. Our intentional focus on housing and community services allows the agency to serve Oregonians across the housing continuum, including preventing homelessness, providing housing stability supports, financing the building and preservation of affordable housing and encouraging homeownership.

Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS), the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), Region 5, and the Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers (HAND), in collaboration with state and local partners, are excited to announce the first multi-regional Supportive Housing Institute in Virginia beginning this August 2023.

This is an exciting opportunity for supportive service providers, housing developers, and property/asset managers in the NoVA (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William) and Hampton Roads (Chesapeake, Eastern Shore, Hampton-Newport News, Middle Peninsula-Northern Neck, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, Western Tidewater, Williamsburg) regions to receive over 10 days of practical training and individualized technical assistance on developing supportive housing. Additionally, each project team participating in the Institute will have access to up to $310,000 in grant funding to help support the successful initiation and development of high-quality supportive and affordable housing.

Please note that you can email [email protected] to get a copy of the application in Microsoft Word format.

The CSH Institute has a strong record of accomplishment across the country, with graduates experiencing an 80% success rate in bringing projects into operation. The Institute will provide targeted training and technical assistance to both new and experienced development teams. Teams receive intensive training over 4 months including individualized technical assistance and support to assist in planning quality projects. CSH Subject matter experts from across the state and the country, in partnership with local expertise, will provide insight on coordinating services and property management, asset management, financing, funding and trauma-informed design.

Application Deadline: June 30, 2023, by 5 pm.

The Application Review Team will evaluate all proposals and notify applicants of their selection by July 15-20, 2023. Submission of an application represents a commitment for the team to attend all Institute sessions. The application must be completed in its entirety. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Submission: Submit an electronic copy of the application and the attachments in PDF form to CSH by email to: [email protected].

Questions: If you have questions about this application, please contact: CSH at [email protected].

The 2023 Institute is made possible by the VA Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and VA Region 5 Community Services Boards. Thanks to the support of DBHDS and Region 5 and their commitment to supportive housing, the Institute is offered free of charge to participants.

Thank you to our partners:

Project teams in the 2022–2023 CSH Connecticut Supportive Housing Institute (SHI) revealed plans to develop nearly 300 homes of tenant-centered quality supportive housing projects for youth and individuals experiencing complex barriers to housing. Each participating team included an affordable housing developer, property manager, and supportive housing service provider. Each team goal was to develop a supportive housing project from concept to shovel-ready.

Last month, ten teams participating in the SHI made final presentations displaying how their project will help the sate move closer to creating more quality supportive housing units. This was the seventh statewide institute presented by Connecticut and national staff, the first since 2010.

CSH co-hosted the SHI with Connecticut Department of Housing. Seila Mosquera-Bruno, the commissioner of the CT Department of Housing, had particiapted in the CSH 2005 Institute when she was the Director of Mutual Housing of South Central Connecticut. Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno expressed confidence in CSH as part of an overall goal to increase supportive/affordable housing in the state.

Several Department of Housing staff members were in attendance including Miguel Rivera, Lisa Quach, Steve DiLella, Lena Holleran, Tawny Pho, Deputy Commissioner Brandon McGee and Senior Advisor Dr. Shanté Hanks. The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority also attended represented by Nandini Natarajan, Chief Executive Officer and Terry Nash Giovanucci, Community Engagement Manager and Chair of the Connecticut Interagency Council on Supportive Housing. Alice Minervino, Behavioral Health Program Manager for the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and also a SHI alum, represented her organization.

Teams were led by the following sponsoring agencies:

• Community Health Resources
• New London Homeless Hospitality Center
• My Sisters Place/Community Housing Advocates
• Friendship Center and Neighborhood Housing Services of Greater New Britain
• The Village and Mutual Housing of Greater Hartford
• Women and Families Center
• Columbus House
• Inspirica
• Pacific House
• Connecticut Housing Partners.

Pacific House’s Executive Director, Rafael Pagan, and team members Tiara Lofton and Jen Broadbin chanted “We say  ‘Shovel’, You say: ‘Ready”, as they took the floor for their presentation. At last year’s kick-off session, Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno proclaimed she wanted to see “Shovel Ready” projects, resulting in the team naming themselves the Shovel Ready Team. (One of their projects will receive a $5.4 million loan from CSH and a $67,500 grant through CSH’s RACE Initiative.)

Altogether, proposed projects will include nearly 300 homes expected to be funded by the state serving a variety of populations, including young adults, aging, families, and individuals experiencing homelessness.

CSH Institute staff were led by Alyssa Languth, Christina Duran and Alexis Butler, all on the National Consulting team. Other CSH staff included  members from the CSH CT team, Sonya Jelks, Director, CSH Connecticut, Phylicia Adams, Luz Osuba, Kimalea Anthony, Hillary Williams, Joella Glaude, and John Dunne.

The SHI gathered teams for nine sessions over 10 months. As part of the SHI offering, CSH staff will provide technical assistance for the rest of 2023. The Department of Housing provided CSH with $500,000 that may be awarded to teams as pre-development grants. Disbursement of those funds will help teams with up-front costs associated with their projects.

All funders in attendance, including Commissioner Mosquera-Bruno as the lead, were impressed by the presentations. Now, the Department of Housing and CSH are in discussion about a future SHI to focus on Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPCO) developers in Connecticut. We are excited to see the future of supportive housing in Connecticut as part of our continued partnership.

Indiana Supportive Housing Institute celebrates 15th year milestone

INDIANAPOLIS (Jan. 31, 2023) – Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA), and Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH) have announced the five teams selected to participate in the 2023 Indiana Supportive Housing Institute. Each team is comprised of housing developers, service providers, and community-based organizations who will develop concept projects for affordable housing with access to supportive services for Hoosiers experiencing homelessness. The teams were selected through a competitive process.

“The Institute continues to be an intentional opportunity for organizations to develop detailed, individualized supportive housing plans,” Lt. Gov. Crouch said. “This year we are focusing on providing supportive housing that will serve individuals experiencing homelessness as identified through the state’s Coordinated Entry System.”

2023 marks the 15th year of the Indiana Supportive Housing Institute and the ongoing partnership between IHCDA and CSH to bring more affordable supportive housing across the state for individuals and families experiencing homelessness. The selected teams represent locations in five counties from north to south-central, and urban to rural areas, demonstrating that homelessness impacts all communities.

“The Indiana Supportive Housing Institute is an opportunity for IHCDA to promote housing stability for those experiencing homelessness,” said Jacob Sipe, executive director of IHCDA. “It’s important that IHCDA and our partners align affordable housing developments to the current needs in communities. We congratulate the teams selected for the Institute, and look forward to collaborating with them to advance supportive housing in the state.”

Below is a list of organizations participating in this year’s Institute:

Warsaw/Kosciusko County: Neighborhood Development Associates, LLC; Bowen Center; Valenti Real Estate Services, Inc.; Housing for Hope, Inc.; SRKM Architecture; Housing Authority of Warsaw

Plymouth/Marshall County: Bradley Company; Garden Court; Bowen Center; McKinley Development, LLC

Indianapolis: Wheeler Mission; Englewood Community Development Corporation; Gratus Development, LLC; Adult & Child Health

Lawrence County: Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation; Milestone Ventures, LLC

South Bend: South Bend Heritage Foundation; Oaklawn Psychiatric Center; City of South Bend, Our Lady of the Road; St. Joseph County Health Department

“CSH is delighted to mark 15 years of collaboration and impact that has connected thousands of individuals and families to quality homes and, finally, stability for those who have cycled through various institutional systems and experienced the trauma of homelessness,” said Lori Phillips-Steele, Director, CSH Indiana. “Only homes end homelessness. Supportive housing pairs quality homes people can afford with the services people need to remain in their homes and achieve their highest quality of life.”

Over the next few months, these teams will work closely with IHCDA and CSH through targeted training and group exercises incorporating CSH’s Quality Supportive Housing Standards. Teams will also receive technical assistance and be presented with pre-development financing opportunities. The Institute will culminate with teams presenting their final plans to CSH, IHCDA, and Institute sponsors. Following graduation from the Institute, each lead organization can apply for funding through IHCDA’s Rental Housing Tax Credit program.

Media Contact
Jesse Dean
[email protected]
347-931-0132