Columbus House

Community support services - throughout all programs, columbus house provides case management to help people obtain or maintain their housing. These include housing readiness and search services, referral to medical and behavioral health treatment and to benefit entitlements, training in daily living skills, employment services and other services as needed. A representative payee program assists clients in paying their rent and bills so they can maintain their housing. Staff are trained in best practices of housing first, harm reduction, motivational interviewing, person centered planning and trauma informed care. A samhsa funded program, funded for 5 years, includes five staff with a focus on street outreach, referrals to treatment and housing for young adults, adults and people in families who are experiencing homelessness.veteran specific services include harkness house, which provides temporary housing for veterans along with case management services. In addition, supportive services for veteran families provides case management, employment, housing and benefits specialists for veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Through these and other programs, columbus house serves more than 400 veterans annually. This year community support includes a hud funded demonstration project intended to seek out homeless youth and provide them with the support services they need to get and maintain housing.

Housing services - in 2023, and 2024 respectively, columbus house provides housing services to over 920 individuals and families in permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, shared housing or independent living. Permanent supportive housing is provided for the most vulnerable, most often chronically homeless adults and families, and includes housing subsidies and support services for as long as the client needs it. Rapid rehousing includes short term subsidies with a light touch of supportive services. Shared housing enables those without subsidies to pool their resources to share an apartment, each holding a lease with the landlord. Case management support in all housing programs is focused on helping people remain housed by attending to the terms of their lease, while at the same time helping clients to integrate into the community with referrals to mainstream services, reunification with family, employment and volunteer opportunities and other community activities.columbus house is also a housing developer. Completed in 2015, val macri was the first development the organization owns and manages. This small complex has17 units, housing both very low-income single adults and chronically homeless people. In 2020 renovations on shepherd homes, a 32-unit building in middletown, were completed. This development is intended for both low and very low income and chronically homeless adults with a preference for veterans. Finally, in 2020, columbus house completed the acquisition of five properties in middletown formerly owned by the nehemiah corporation. Due to this acquisition, these buildings collectively referred to as chi peterson, represent 27 units, which will remain affordable housing in this community.

Outreach programs - in many communities across ct, there are people who are homeless who are living on the streets, in encampments, in abandoned buildings. Columbus house staff provide street outreach in new haven and middletown to work with people who do not or cannot come into the shelters in those communities. The goal is to help move people into housing by providing regular engagement and, ultimately, case management services. The organization also provides a transportation program that offers free rides for people who are homeless and in need of getting to and from medical or treatment related appointments, anywhere in the state.