YWCA receives housing program grant

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

While local YWCA officials are pleased with a nearly $180,000 grant for its transitional housing program, more money is needed to fulfill all the goals of the much-used — and needed — program.

“We’re excited, that’s for sure, because it’s a large increase from before,” said YWCA of Van Wert County Executive Director Stacy Looser of the two-year grant recently awarded to the program by the Ohio Department of Development, through its Ohio Housing Trust Homeless Assistance Grant program. “We’re glad that the state sees the value in what we’re offering here, and sees the potential and the positive changes that have happened over the past couple of years in particular.”

The YWCA, which has applied for — and received — the grant every two years since the late 1990s, had originally sought more than $200,000 this year, but Looser said the $179,700 received was still substantially more than the $143,000 awarded two years ago.

The grant money will help pay for operating costs of the program, Looser and Program Director Danni Chiles said, including utilities, upkeep and a portion of program salaries. Two other grants, of $92,700 and $14,300, were also awarded through the ODOD to make previous improvements to Transitional Housing facilities.

Looser said it was nice to see an increase in funding from the grant this time around, even though the grant amount was less than originally sought.

“I think we all agree that if they hadn’t felt we weren’t doing positive things for the community, there’s no way they would have given us that big an increase,” Looser noted.

However, YWCA officials continue to pursue their ultimate goal of offering housing to entire homeless families, including men, but that will take additional state funding or community donations before it can happen.

The fulfill that goal, the YWCA would need to open the South Washington Street house donated by the former Van Wert Woman’s Club when that organization disbanded a couple of years ago. However, to do so would cost a least $10,000 — and probably more — since the house has several infrastructure problems that need to be addressed.

Looser said the upstairs bathroom in the house needs some plumbing repairs, and a leak caused by the plumbing problems has caused damage to some interior walls on the first floor of the dwelling. Two showers also need to be installed in the building if it is to be used by homeless families.

“The Woman’s Club really didn’t use the building very much, so there are some other things that would need to be done before it could be opened,” Chiles noted.

“We’re hoping some generous individuals or organizations — maybe even a local plumber — would donate funds or their time to help us make the necessary repairs and add showers to the house,” Looser said.

Currently, the YWCA’s Transitional Housing Program includes a house located next to the YW’s main building, as well as residential housing on the upper floor of the main facility. The program serves homeless women over the age of 18 and their children who live not only in Van Wert County, but in Mercer and Paulding counties as well.

Eligibility requirements include being near the poverty line, as well as the ability to live independently after leaving the program following the 18-month assistance period. That would eliminate older women, for example, who aren’t able to care for themselves, as well as others who can’t live on their own for one reason or another.

Being able to open up the former Woman’s Club building, Looser said, would substantially increase the YWCA’s ability to assist entire homeless families — something that can’t be done now with the existing facilities.

“There is a real need out there that we would like to fill,” she added.