United Way Grants $75,000
for Supportive Housing

Alpha Community Services
Left to right: Fairfield"08 Executive Director David Rich, United Way's Judy Sklarz, Alpha Community Services Executive Director Carmen Colon.

Mutual Housing
Left to right: Mutual Housing Project Director Jenifer Svelnys, Executive Director Larry Kluetstch, Judith Sklarz, and Director of Housing Development Kent Lewis.

BRIDGEPORT, CT - (March 8 , 2007) United Way of Eastern Fairfield County Board of Directors recently approved $75,000 in grants for supportive housing as part of its Destination Home initiative. The grants were awarded following a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. Destination Home is co-chaired by Ruth Price of RBS National Bank and Michael S. Rosten, Esq., BowtiesEsq. Real Estate Services. Through its commitment as “corporate champion,” RBS National Bank has provided resources for the Destination Home community impact committee to focus on grant making and service delivery.

The vision of United Way's Destination Home is that all residents have appropriate housing – making possible the transition from homelessness to hopefulness. To achieve this, D estination Home employs the following strategies:

1. Implement the actions in The Greater Bridgeport Area Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.

2. Invest in housing solutions (e.g., permanent supportive housing) that prevent homelessness and support individuals and families in obtaining appropriate housing choices.

3. Develop regional solutions to the wider housing crisis in partnership with a broad range of community providers.

The Fairfield ‘08 Collaborative will receive a grant of $30,000 to assist in the development of supportive housing. The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA will serve as the fiduciary for the grant on behalf of Fairfield ‘08. According to United Way Community Impact Chair Leo Hansen, “The Destination Home Community Impact Committee is strongly supportive of Fairfield ‘08’s efforts to create affordable and supportive housing throughout Fairfield County. We admired their creativity in developing innovative approaches to meeting the housing needs of low and very low income families.”

The grant will support specific Fairfield ’08 projects: Downtown Bridgeport “Phase III,” Clinton Commons, and Fairfield Scattered Sites. United Way’s Destination Home committee also encouraged Fairfield ’08 to further expand its capacity to undertake the development of affordable housing throughout Fairfield County.

The Mutual Housing Association of Southwestern Connecticut will receive an award in the amount of $45,000 to support the development of 22 two and three bedroom units of supportive housing at Merton House in Bridgeport. St. Vincent’s Medical Center and Catholic Charities will provide supportive services. The project, a collaboration among Mutual Housing of SW CT, Catholic Charities and Merton House, makes available opportunities for Bridgeport area families in desperate need of permanent, affordable supportive housing. “This collaboration represents a rare combination of expertise in affordable housing development and the provision of supportive services,” noted Hansen.

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County adopted its Destination Home impact area in 2005. Throughout 2005, Berke-Schlessel, along with Bridgeport Mayor John M. Fabrizi, co-chaired Bridgeport’s Leadership Group on Ending Homelessness, composed of representatives from a variety of institutions, agencies, service providers, homeless clients and others. Their work resulted in The Greater Bridgeport Area Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness, a document with specific strategies to eradicate this problem by 2015. RBS National Bank provided funding to help in the development and implementation of the plan, which not only provides access to safe, decent affordable housing but also offers needed support services to prevent the problem from reoccurring. United Way of Eastern Fairfield County, through The Greater Bridgeport Area Continuum of Care, continues to oversee the execution of the plan and to support other activities through Destination Home.

Said Berke-Schlessel, “At United Way, we emphasize the importance of the entire community working together to accomplish our shared goals. We are pleased that the community serving the homeless and those at risk of being homeless has responded so enthusiastically.”

In November 2006, Berke-Schlessel was named one of eight delegates to represent the United States at an international conference on homelessness. Delegations from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe convened in London on November 21 and 22 to address this worldwide crisis. Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, invited Berke-Schlessel to join the American delegation based on her “personal leadership in Bridgeport and her ability to engage private sector partners in the development and implementation of the Bridgeport 10-year plan,” which he deemed as being among the very best in the country.

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County’s mission is to mobilize a stronger, more caring community across Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Stratford and Trumbull. Our focus is on what matters. We are bringing people together from all across the community – people from government, business, faith groups, nonprofits, and ordinary citizens – to tackle the issues that matter most. United Way is committed to the bottom line results: the lives we change and the communities we shape. Find out more at www.thewaytocare.org.