Greater Cincinnati Coalition For The Homeless

ERADICATION OF HOMELESSNESS: THE GREATER CINCINNATI HOMELESS COALITION IS A UNIFIED SOCIAL ACTION AGENCY, FULLY COMMITTED TO ITS ULTIMATE GOAL: THE ERADICATION OF HOMELESSNESS WITH RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY AND DIVERSITY OF ITS MEMBERSHIP, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND THE COMMUNITY. OUR COALITION WORKS TOWARDS THIS GOAL BY COORDINATING SERVICES, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC, AND ENGAGING IN GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING AND ADVOCACY.

ADVOCACY AND ORGANIZING: THE COALITION MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES DOZENS OF DIRECT SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, FAITH GROUPS, CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. TOGETHER, WE WORK AND ORGANIZE WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSING INSTABILITY, TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS IN MULTIPLE WAYS. OUR WORK WITH OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS TO ADDRESS ISSUES RESULTING FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS EXTENSIVE AND IS DISCUSSED UNDER OUR "COORDINATION OF SERVICES" PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS (PROGRAM 4 BELOW). THE SUCCESS OF THAT EFFORT IS THE RESULT OF THE ONGOING ORGANIZATION WORK OF THE COALITION AND ITS MEMBERSHIP WORKING TOGETHER TO ADDRESS THE MANY ISSUES THAT ROUTINELY ARISE. THE SYSTEMIC CAUSE OF HOMELESSNESS IS THE LACK OF 40,000 AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS WITHIN HAMILTON COUNTY AND THE CITY OF CINCINNATI. WE ORGANIZED OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES TO PUT FORWARD A BALLOT ISSUE COMMITTING THE CITY TO A FIXED AMOUNT OF MONEY EACH YEAR TOWARD THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEEDED HOMES. ALTHOUGH THE BALLOT ISSUE FAILED, WE ARE WORKING ON A NEW BALLOT ISSUE, AND HAVE ALREADY GAINED NEW SOURCES OF SUPPORT FOR IT. WE HAVE A MAJOR EFFORT CONTINUALLY ORGANIZING PEOPLE LIVING IN PROPERTIES HAVING THOUSANDS OF AT-RISK AFFORDABLE HOMES. IN THE PAST THREE YEARS THESE EFFORTS HAVE RESULTED IN MORE THAN 1,000 AFFORDABLE HOMES BEING SAVED, AND IN EMPOWERING THE EXISTING STRENGTHS OF MANY MORE RESIDENTS THROUGH COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO FORCE LANDLORDS TO ADDRESS UNSAFE AND UNHEALTHY CONDITIONS IN THEIR PROPERTIES. TO FURTHER PREVENT THE LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND RESULTING HOMELESSNESS, WE ARE WORKING TO CREATE MORE JUST EVICTION PROCESSES. AT MANY LEVELS WE ORGANIZE AND ADVOCATE WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR WITHOUT A PERMANENT ADDRESS WITH RESPECT TO THEIR PHYSICAL NEEDS, AS WELL AS THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS. WE SUPPORT THE WINTER SHELTER AND WORK TO MAKE ITS AVAILABILITY KNOWN THROUGHOUT THE WINTER. A NUMBER OF OUR MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS ARE SHELTERS WHICH PROVIDE EMERGENCY SHELTER AND SOCIAL WORKERS TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN FINDING HOUSING IN THE MIDST OF OUR CRISIS-LEVEL AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEFICIT. WE ORGANIZE TO PROTECT THE CIVIL LIBERTIES OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, HAVING, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF VOLUNTARY LAWYERS, FILED A SIGNIFICANT FEDERAL LAWSUIT CHALLENGING THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF LOCAL POLICES THAT ARE USED TO FORCE PEOPLE WITHOUT HOMES, IN A CITY WITHOUT ENOUGH AFFORDABLE HOMES, OFF PUBLIC LAND AT THE THREAT OF ARREST. ORDERS FROM THE JUDGE IN OUR CASE HAVE BEEN POSITIVE AS IT RELATES TO BASIC RIGHTS AND WE ARE NOW IN SETTLEMENT DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CITY. OUR ACTIVITIES HAVE MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN BUILDING A MOVEMENT TO ENSURE THE EMERGENCY NEEDS OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ARE MET, BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED, EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS PRESERVED AND HEALTHY, AND WE CREATE LOCAL MUNICIPAL POLICIES THAT TACKLE THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM OF A LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THROUGH A MAJOR EFFORT ALLOCATE SIGNIFICANT LOCAL GOVERNMENT FUNDS TO BUILD NEW HOMES AFFORDABLE TO HOUSEHOLDS WITH LOW INCOMES.

EDUCATION: THE COALITION CONNECTS MORE PEOPLE WITH ITS ADVOCACY EFFORTS THROUGH EDUCATION OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC, COMMUNITY LEADERS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS. OUR SPEAKERS BUREAU REACHES APPROXIMATELY 5,000 STUDENTS AND ADULTS EACH YEAR, PARTNERING WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED OR ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO SHARE THEIR STORIES TO PUT A FACE ON HOMELESSNESS AND RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THOSE STRUGGLING IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE CINCINNATI URBAN EXPERIENCE IS A 3-7 DAY IMMERSIVE ALTERNATIVE BREAK PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. THE SOCIAL JUSTICE WALKING TOUR TRAVELS THROUGH THE STREETS, ALLEYS AND PARKS OF OVER-THE-RHINE AND CLARIFIES THE MEANING AND DIRECTION OF DECADES OF NEGLECT AND HOW THE PRIORITIES OF TODAY'S INVESTMENTS HAVE CAUSED DISPLACEMENT, LOSS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS. THE COALITION OFFERS SEVERAL MORE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL. THE COALITION NOW OFFERS A FULL ONLINE TRAINING CURRICULUM REGARDING HOMELESSNESS, POLICY AND HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

STREETVIBES: STREETVIBES IS AN ALTERNATIVE NEWSPAPER AND PART OF THE INTERNATIONAL STREET NEWSPAPER MOVEMENT. READ BIWEEKLY BY THOUSANDS, IT IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR POVERTY AS A WAY TO EARN A SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME. STREETVIBES FOCUSES ON HOMELESSNESS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, REPORTING THE OFTEN-INVISIBLE STORY OF POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY. STREETVIBES INCLUDES CREATIVE WRITING, POETRY, ARTICLES, PHOTOGRAPHY AND INTERVIEWS WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO HAVE OR ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS. STREETVIBES SERVES AN EDUCATIONAL FUNCTION AND PROVIDES A FORUM FOR DIALOGUE FOR THOSE OFTEN LEFT IGNORED AND MARGINALIZED.