Gateway Housing First Inc

GATEWAY HOUSING FIRST, INC. IS A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE MISSION IS TO PROVIDE SAFE, DECENT, AFFORDABLE, SUPPORTED HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH A WIDE RANGE OF DISABILITIES, COMPLEX DISORDERS AND LIFE SITUATIONS WHO NEED SUPPORT TO SECURE OR MAINTAIN HOUSING. THE ORGANIZATION IS A COMMUNITY-DIRECTED FACILITATOR, DEVELOPER, AND OWNER/OPERATOR OF THESE HOMES THROUGHOUT THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN AREA.

GATEWAY HOUSING FIRST'S (GHF) MISSION IS TO RESPOND TO THE A WELL-DOCUMENTED, PRESSING UNMET NEED FOR PERMANENT, AFFORDABLE SUPPORTED HOUSING FOR INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY A WIDE RANGE OF COMPLEX DISORDERS AND LIFE SITUATIONS WHO NEED SUPPORTS AND ACCOMMODATIONS TO SECURE AND MAINTAIN HOUSING. GUIDED BY THE VALUES AND OUTCOMES ACHIEVED BY HOUSING FIRST AND HARM REDUCTION PROGRAMS, GHF'S IMMEDIATE FOCUS IS ON INCREASING HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR THE "MOST VULNERABLE" IN OUR REGION, ELIMINATING "HOUSING READINESS" BARRIERS TO ENSURE EQUAL ACCESS TO AVAILABLE HOUSING SOLUTIONS, FOSTERING LEVERAGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXISTING SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES TO PROVIDE TENANTS WITH THE SERVICES NEEDED TO ENSURE HOUSING SUCCESS. WE EXECUTE OUR MISSION ACROSS TWO TANDEM TRACKS: (1) THROUGH THE ACQUISITION AND NEW CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT OF PERMANENT SUPPORTED HOUSING OWNED AND OPERATED BY GHF AND (2) BY INCREASING THE AVAILABILITY OF AND ACCESS TO TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND THEN PAIRING THAT ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE MOST IN NEED THROUGH OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT. GATEWAY HOUSING FIRST OPERATES 11 AFFORDABLE SUPPORTED HOUSING COMMUNITIES IN ST. LOUIS CITY AND COUNTY TOTALING 206 UNITS, 7 OF WHICH ARE OWNED BY GHF AFFILIATED SINGLE ASSET CORPORATIONS OR PARTNERSHIPS, 3 ARE OWNED FEE SIMPLE BY GHF AND 1 IS MASTERED LEASED FROM A THIRD-PARTY. OUR ARRAY OF SUPPORTED HOUSING OPTIONS INCLUDE: SRO UNITS AS WELL AS EFFICIENCY, 1-BEDROOM AND 2-BEDROOM APARTMENTS, AND 3-BEDROOM TOWNHOMES. GHF ALSO OPERATES SEVERAL PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING SCATTERED-SITE LEASING PROGRAMS, INCLUDING COC SHELTER PLUS CARE, PROVIDING ON-GOING TENANT-BASED RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND HOUSING STABILITY CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS TO APPROXIMATELY 85 HOUSEHOLDS AT ANY GIVEN TIME. IN THE SPRING OF 2021, TO FURTHER CONTRIBUTE TO OUR COMMUNITY-WIDE EFFORTS TO RESPOND TO THE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IMPACTED BY DISABILITIES AND CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS, WE EXPANDED OUR PROGRAMMING TO INCLUDE A HUD ESG-CV FUNDED RAPID REHOUSING PROGRAM THAT BRIDGES CHRONICALLY HOMELESS, DISABLED HOUSEHOLDS FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOUSING BY PROVIDING 1 YEAR RENTAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE THROUGH COVID RELIEF FUNDS AND THEN WORKING TO TRANSITIONING THEM TO THE LESS PREVALENT YET NEEDED ON-GOING RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT SERVICES PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION OF THEIR COVID ASSISTANCE. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, 100% OF THOSE HOUSED IN GHF HOUSING OR THROUGH ONE OF OUR SCATTERED SITE LEASING PROGRAMS IN THE SUBJECT YEAR WERE UNHOUSED PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT IN OUR HOUSING PROGRAMS. AT NO TIME DURING THE PANDEMIC DID LEASE-UP OF VACANT UNITS HALT IN RECOGNITION OF THE COVID COMORBIDITY RISKS DISPROPORTIONATELY BORE BY THOSE WHO ARE UNHOUSED. TO THE CONTRARY, WE EXPANDED OUR SERVICES OFFERINGS TO INCLUDE COVID PREVENTION EDUCATION, PPE DISTRIBUTION, ROUTINE SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD DISTRIBUTION, ASSISTANCE SECURING THE INTERNET AND TOOLS NEEDED FOR ON-LINE LEARNING AND VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE, ASSISTANCE ACCESSING PANDEMIC RELIEF ENTITLEMENTS AND EXPANDED OUR IN-PERSON DIRECT CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORTS, WHEN NECESSARY, AMONG OTHER SUPPORTS.100% OF THOSE SERVED BY GHF HAVE A HISTORY OF HOMELESSNESS AND WERE EXTREMELY LOW-INCOME AND EITHER UNHOUSED OR AT IMMINENT RISK OF HOMELESSNESS AT INITIAL ENGAGEMENT. OVER 98% OF THOSE SERVED REMAIN HOUSED TODAY.