The PATH Center 1939 east 2nd St. Defiance , Ohio

What is “Rural Poverty”? • Rural households in poverty experience some of the worst

housing conditions in our nation. • More than 3% of all rural households occupy a unit with

moderate problems, including inadequate services (kitchen/plumbing) and crowding (2010 American Housing Survey).

• The most significant problem facing rural households is housing affordability and availability.

• Although housing costs are generally lower in rural areas, so too are incomes.

• According to 2009 American Housing Survey data, 30% of all rural households are cost burdened, which is defined as paying more than 30% of income on housing costs.

The Faces of Rural PovertyFemale-Headed Households:• Outside metropolitan areas, 39.7 % of

female headed families live in poverty, a rate that is nearly 10% higher than in metropolitan areas.

• Southern US, 41.2% of all female-headed households in nonmetropolitan areas were in poverty, as compared to 35.9% in the nonmetropolitan Northeast.

• There was a 3.7 % point increase in poverty among female-headed households nationally from 2009 to 2012. (2010 American Housing Survey)

WOMEN-HEADED HOUSEHOLDS: THE “POOREST OF THE POOR”

• “Feminization” of Poverty: the idea that women-headed households constitute a disproportionate number of the poor, and that they experience greater extremes of poverty than male-headed households.

Risk Factors for Homelessness• United States Veterans,

particularly veterans who have experienced combat, TBI, and/or suffer from PTSD

• Prior homelessness: 35-67% of currently homeless persons have experienced at least one (and often several) prior, separate episodes of homelessness.

• Health problems: more than 25% of the homeless population are too disabled to work and about 40% report themselves in poor health, compared to 20% of the U.S. poor.

(2010 American Housing Survey)

“Secondary” Risk Factors for Homelessness

Individuals with institutional histories: • Homeless and most-at-risk persons are much more likely

than the extremely poor who have never experienced homelessness to have a history of:

1. Mental health hospitalization2. Inpatient treatment for alcohol or drug addiction3. Have spent ANY amount of time in foster care4. Any time spent in jail or prison

(2010 American Housing Survey)

Rural Homeless Risk Factors• Disruption in Education, incomplete

education, or under-education• Unemployment history/lack of job

skills/ unskilled work history• Expenses exceed income• Rent/mortgage in arrears• Lack of transportation no public

transportation • Language barriers• New to town/transient• lack of emergency shelter resources(2010 American Housing Survey)

Potential Triggers of Homelessness• Breakdown in relationships, divorce, death of spouse• Separation from family or income earners• Discharge from military• Discharge from prison• Discharge from rehabilitation/treatment center• Deterioration in mental health• Increase in alcohol or drug abuse• In debt/poor credit/unpaid utilities • Eviction/Foreclosure• No access to affordable healthcare (2010 American Housing Survey)

Meeting our Clients Where They Are

• Where do we begin?• What are their immediate

needs? • What are their immediate

barriers to housing?• How can we best provide

services?• Are they safe?• What comes next for

them? (2010 American Housing Survey)

Meeting our Clients Where They Are• Where do we begin with our

clients experiencing legal issues?• DoA dependency…• Court fees….• Child Support….• Proper State and Federal

Identification…• Coordination with Probation and

Parole • What are their immediate

barriers to housing?• Are they are risk to themselves or

others?• What need to happen FIRST?

• Stabilization• Employment• Transportation• Housing

The PATH Center

The PATH (Partnership Assistance to the Homeless) Center, located at 1939 E. Second St. in the Richland Place Building in Defiance, is a soup kitchen/drop-in center.  The program focuses on serving homeless persons, those with severe mental disabilities, or those who have food or nutritional needs – but all are welcome. 

Our soup kitchen is open each weekday from 12:00-1:00pm.   Weekend and holiday meals are served at 11:30am.

The PATH Center Provides:

Community connection, networking, and socialization USDA Food Commodity Distribution for Defiance city residents Referral information for area social service agencies and

community support Free bread and bakery items, fresh produce, eggs Morning coffee, juice, and rolls A variety of activities are planned at PATH for the enjoyment of

all. 

PATH Center Services to the Homeless• A maximum of 20- 30 homeless

persons can be provided emergency shelter at any one time. 

• Shelter services are provided for up to 45 days. 

• Men, women, children, and families are all accepted.

• While in shelter a case manager works closely with the individual or family to identify and work towards the goal of achieving independent housing.

• Assistance and referrals are provided to address issues such as employment, mental health, budgeting, and access to community resources as well as nutrition, health, and transportation.

Rapid Re-Housing Program, Intensive case management services

Intent is to serve persons who:• Are homeless or would be homeless but for this

assistance• Can remain stably housed after this temporary

assistance ends• Focuses on immediate housing stabilization• Building skills and bridges to long term stability

and self-sufficiency

Homelessness Prevention

• Prevent individuals and families at risk of homelessness from becoming homeless

Why Rapid Rehousing?

Literal

ly Homeless

Shelte

red nights

In shelte

r progra

m

Couch su

rfing

Rapidly

Rehoused$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000 $40,000

$29,451

$22,150 $20,152

$8,604

Estimated Cost of Homelessness per person per year in the U.S.

The Cost of Homelessness

The costs include:• Incarceration• Medicaid• Social Services• Mental Health

Care

(2014) HUD housing statistics

Housing First Philosophy• Focus on the housing• Get homeless people as quickly as possible into a permanent,

stable place to live.• Provide them with the services that they need.• Housing First says something that is fairly intuitive—that

people do better when they are stabilized in housing as soon as possible.

• Unstable housing impedes the effectiveness of interventions to address people’s problems.

• Homeless people themselves recognize this and generally identify housing to be their first priority.

Housing First Philosophy• Housing First generally involves

three steps:1. Crisis resolution and assessment to

address immediate problems and then identify housing needs.

2. Housing placement, including strategies to deal with bad tenant and credit histories, identify units, negotiate with landlords, and access rent subsidies.

3. Service connections to provide housed people with services, or connect them to services in the community.

• Housing First Principles as Best Practices:

1. Housing is a basic human right, not a reward for clinical success.

2. Once the chaos of homelessness is eliminated from a person's life, clinical and social stabilization occur faster and are more enduring.

Housing First in Operation • Principles of Housing First are: • 1) Move people into housing directly from streets and shelters without

preconditions of treatment acceptance or compliance; • 2) The provider is obligated to bring robust support services to the housing.

These services are predicated on assertive engagement, not coercion; • 3) Continued tenancy is not dependent on participation in services; • 4) Units targeted to most disabled and vulnerable homeless members of

the community; • 5) Embraces harm-reduction approach to addictions rather than mandating

abstinence. At the same time, the provider must be prepared to support resident commitment to recovery;

• 6) Residents must have leases and tenant protections under the law; • 7) Can be implemented as either a project-based or scattered site model.

Rapid Re-Housing Program, Intensive case management services

RAPID REHOUSING IDENTIFIED POPULATIONS

• Are homeless or would be homeless but for this assistance

• Can remain stably housed after this temporary assistance ends

• Focuses on immediate housing stabilization• Building skills and bridges to long term

stability and self-sufficiency

Homelessness Prevention• Prevent individuals and families at risk of

homelessness from becoming homeless

Sex Offenses

Felony Offenses

Exiting Correctional Facilities

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes…..• Security System-12 live

cameras• Not a requirement to be

sober or “clean” when residing at the PATH

• 24 hour access to the common area and laundry facilities

• Residency is strictly based on a “but for” philosophy

• NO waiting list/ limited delays in serving truly homeless

• Deferment protocol• Weekend passes or overnight

passes are considered case by case

• High risk sexual behaviors addressed: condom distribution as well as HIV/Hep C testing on site beginning in January, 2015

1. Increased access to the building after hours/least restrictive environment

2. Allows for increased socialization3. Allows us to monitor in real-time any issues

Some of our Events and Activities

• Empty Bowls, February 2015• Community Cares,

Playground • Hunger Banquet,

March 2015

Community Dinners

• Served each Monday and offered some Thursdays

• Dde

Defiance College Inter-Greek Organization: Alpha Xi Delta and Phi Sigma Chi November, 2014

@yourPATHcenter

PATH Center A Program of Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission

Internships Opportunities Available

Background Check

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