Collaboration and Conflict

"The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike, than those who think differently" -Frederich Nietzsche

My name is Cara and I am a first year member serving at Community Action House. It is located in Holland, but as part of my service, I participate with various committees of the Ottawa Area Housing Coalition which exists to serve all of Ottawa County- including the Tri-cities area of Grand Haven, Spring Lake and Ferrysburg.

If you’re not familiar with this swath of Lake Michigan’s shoreline, each community is unique in atmosphere and population. The Tri-cities area, which is in the north- west part of the county, is a very tight knit community. Holland is in the south west part of the county and because of its larger and more diverse population, it offers slightly more anonymity among its residence, while holding fast to its Tulip Time pride.

Why is this relevant? Recently, I was asked to attend and observe the re-visioning process for the North West Ottawa Area Housing Coalition. The NWOAHC’s purpose is to serve the housing issues that are perceived to be unique to the Tri-cities area. Two years ago, a contentious debate erupted over a proposed shelter project that pitted housing first advocates against proponents of increased shelter beds. Ultimately, the shelter was built and the cohesiveness of the coalition was damaged, significantly. Because of this, the group stagnated and lost sight of a common vision or path forward.

As the first meeting got underway, past tensions and rivaling community identities clouded the renewed common vision that the coalition had met to achieve. Those sitting at the table whose agencies are located in the Tri-cities area were firm in their assertion that their community has housing concerns that are unique and outside of the services already provided. Others at the table were convinced that by tapping into county-wide services and fostering a more collaborative atmosphere, the NWOAHC could better provide for the needs of the area.

The conflict has a continuing impact on my day-to-day activities as an AmeriCorps member. As part of my service, I provide resources and referrals for participants in the HARP program. It is my responsibility to understand the way that the agencies work together. The greatest challenge in assisting participants is when the agencies themselves struggle to understand how they work together, and therefore leave gaps in certain areas and flood others with services.

I have the utmost faith in the coalition’s desire to do the most good and provide the most appropriate services to those who are in need. I simply had to swallow the “ah-ha!” moment when I realized that social service agencies and organizations, like the well-intentioned staff that run them, are not above the influence of human nature. I truly believe that everyone who has an idea about which path to take, as long as it leads to the same destination, is on the right road.

While the ideological divisions were not dissolved, I am hopeful that the next step that the NWOAHC decides to take, can be a step forward together in fighting to end homelessness in all of Ottawa County.

Working on the next chapter ....Commitment!

WORKING ON THE NEXT CHAPTER ……..

COMMITMENT!

      

Hi, my name is Glory White and I am a new AmeriCorps member serving at Metro Community Development in Flint, MI.  I work mainly with the HARP Housing Choice Voucher.  There is nothing more rewarding then assisting a homeless client find and move into safe and clean housing.  I do however, have to admitted I feel torn between the satisfaction of assisting a homeless client succeed in meeting the goal of being housed and the feeling that the client should contribute more in preparation for and the maintenance of housing once they receive a voucher.

One of my clients lived on the street last winter.  I assisted him complete TBRA and the HARP programs applications. He slept at an abandoned house on most cold nights while waiting for a voucher.  A friend and I would go to the abandoned house where he slept on some of the colder nights and take blankets or hot coffee.  We were able to convince him to go to a shelter on the bitterly cold nights.  When his name was pulled from the TBRA list and he picked an apartment, he looked so happy when the property manager gave him the key to his own unit.  He proudly said to me “If you need me I’ll be at my apartment”

The client lived at the unit quietly and seemingly happily.   He attended substance abuse counseling, found a doctor and started treatment for some long standing physical ailments.  He attended support group sessions held for TBRA and HARP recipients’ everything went well until, he received his SSDI approximately nine months later.  He stopped participating in his support and treatment groups and reverted to in his words “a Lover”.   He began cause problems in the neighborhood around his apartment necessitating police involvement.  His main goals seem to be substance abuse and finding a mate.

I enlisted everyone on his “Team,” his Disability network counselor, his doctor, his substance abuse counselor to work with him but, nothing we could do steered him back on track. The most glaring part missing from this team effort was the support of the TBRA voucher.  There is nothing in the program that mandates (or in the HARP voucher) a client continues services or treatment once they receive a voucher.

 I feel the most powerful weapons that should be in the arsenal to end homelessness are Individual accountability and Personal Responsibility.  Many of the grants written for programs assisting the homeless find and maintain homes do not contain an expectation or a mandate for those individuals receiving assistance to participate in building independence by learning skills necessary to maintain housing, such as budgeting, how to pay your bills, (or paying your bills) how to be a good neighbor, getting a GED , job training, attending college, or attending substance abuse counseling.  This could   lead to the achievement of total independence without relying on a housing voucher or any other government helping services.

On the Certification of Eligibility and Residency used in the HARP application packet there it is noted

“Applicant household is willing to engage in a jointly-developed plan supporting housing stability” this criterion has no “bite” voucher recipients are not held accountable by the progran when they discontinue the plan.

 This chapter in the client’s life ended with his losing the voucher.  He spent time in jail and when released he then went back to living in shelters and places not meant for human habitation.  The furniture and household items the team found for him were lost or stolen.   He showed up at my office after almost a year looking for housing.  He still has his SSDI and said he is willing to work on a new chapter of his life.  I continue to assist him however, since this housing search is sans program, we put together a plan with several goals he must meet to maintain services.   Including but not limited to, substance abuse treatment, not being under the influence of substances when he meets with me, making appointments with his medical doctor and taking his medication, attending budgeting classes and applying to CMH for therapeutic services.

How AmeriCorps Service has Impacted my Life

(Melissa here. We're having some technical difficulties, so I am posting Kevin's entry on his behalf. Enjoy!)

My name is Kevin Bell. I work for the Housing Support Services group at Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County (CSSW)/Avalon Housing in Ann Arbor, Michigan. I started my second year of service in October 2011.

I graduated with a Master of Public Health degree in Health Promotion and Education three years ago. At the time, I scoped out ideally the type of work I wanted to do—coordinate and facilitate wellness activities in an employee or community health program, designing and implementing health intervention programs, and working with older adults. I applied for lots of positions and had many interviews without landing a full-time, living wage job.

I found my Americorps position, answering an advertisement on the CSSW Web site. I was unsure how this would impact me as a person and my future employment plans.

As a person, I feel more independent and self-reliant. I fee confident and less timid about making important decisions. The mentoring and supportive staff I work with has had the greatest impact. These folks are my support network, my friends—people I can trust and on which I rely. These people and the memories I have will be with me forever.

I have become a more grounded individual. Any change is hard, but this position has made it less difficult to adapt to change. I have become more flexible in dealing with other individuals—family and friends included.

I have gained a lot of good job skills and experience, too. Two years of full-time non-profit experience! I coordinate and facilitate the care of eleven consumers. I plan, organize, coordinate, and facilitate events like health fairs and a walking group. I have linked consumers to thousands of dollars of emergency funds to help them avoid eviction or utility shut-off.

I continue to learn about the services local social service agencies provide and network with many professionals that work with these agencies. My hope is that these contacts will enable me to find employment in the local community once my service ends.