9-March-2007

Moving Forward:
200 New Permanent Housing Units Provide Residents with a New Life

Emerald Commons has 52 fully-furnished efficiency apartments.

MHS and the AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland have begun providing psychiatric, medical, social, vocational, and supportive services to the residents of Emerald Commons, a new, 52-unit permanent supportive housing complex which opened in December in the Detroit-Shoreway area of Cleveland.

It was built with a HUD Supportive Housing Program grant by EDEN, Inc., a non-profit housing development organization and is the first of its kind in Cleveland.

All of the residents at Emerald Commons have disabling mental illnesses, substance-use disorders, and/or HIV infections. Before coming to Emerald Commons, many of them had been homeless for years.

In addition to the 52 efficiency apartments, Emerald Commons features a community room, laundry facilities, a mailroom, and an education center. Because security was a priority for many residents, there are also video surveillance and a reception area that’s staffed 24 hours a day. Public transportation, medical facilities, libraries, shopping, and places of worship are nearby.

Each apartment includes a bathroom, kitchen, sleeping/living area, and storage space -- all in a compact, easy-to-maintain, single-room layout of approximately 400 square feet. The units were furnished with funds from private donors. These apartments allow residents to have a privacy and independence that’s impossible in a shelter. At the same time, residents enjoy more immediate access to psychiatric, medical, social, and supportive services than they would in a traditional apartment complex.

Many residents have had little experience with independent living and/or have severe functional impairments. Emerald Commons is esigned to provide staff and tenants with optimal engagement and socialization opportunities, and to facilitate skill enhancement, service planning, and social interactions. Residents who have been unsuccessful living elsewhere finally have a chance to overcome homelessness in a caring, supportive environment.

The great need for this kind of supportive housing is clear: Emerald Commons reached full occupancy in less than six weeks – a record for this type of tax-credit project. More units are in the works and by the end of 2007, MHS will be providing mental health and supportive services through permanent housing for more than 200 formerly homeless men and women in the Cleveland area.

To view the Service Note as a web page on the MHS website, click here.

We send e-mail Service Notes to those who have expressed an interest in our mission. We understand that time is limited, unlike the number of e-mail items you may seem to get. If you'd like us to refrain from sending future newsletters, just let us know.

We would also like to know if someone forwarded this, and you'd like to directly receive future Service Notes, or if you have a new e-mail address. And, of course, we welcome your comments. Please send a message to Joel [the "at" symbol] mhs-inc.org Thank you.

Copyright (c) 2007
Mental Health Services for Homeless Persons, Inc. (MHS)
All Rights Reserved.
MHS, 1736 Superior Avenue East, Cleveland, Ohio 44114-2944 U.S.A.
Voice - 216-623-6555 / TDD - 216-623-6540

Steve Prengler, President, Board of Trustees
Steven M. Friedman, Ph.D., Executive Director

Read prior issues of MHS Service Note newsletters.

Learn about MHS. Donate, if you'd like!