Storytelling – Empowerment – Leadership – Engagement

Abstract

The Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH)was founded with a revolutionary idea: give the men and women on our streets a home and surround them with the care they need. CSH (Corporation for Supportive Housing) was founded on this idea, which would become the solution to homelessness for people most in need.

Julie Sandorf was approached by two Franciscan priests who were successfully saving their mentally ill parishioners from homelessness. She saw first hand with a safe place to live and psychiatrists and social workers on site, their tenants stayed housed and healthy. With support from the Pew Charitable Trusts, she found hundreds of similar stories around U.S.: troubled people who had bounced between shelters, hospitals, jails and the streets were suddenly living productive lives thanks to this combination of quality housing and support services.

In 1991, Julie with funding from three of the nation’s leading philanthropies—the Pew Charitable Trusts, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Ford Foundation founded CSH. Over twenty-five years later, CSH is still inspired to bring supportive housing to those who need it most. We offer a comprehensive portfolio of services that boost the value and impact of work in over 300 cities and 48 states throughout the U.S. making home a reality for over 200,000 individuals and families who have regained hope and dignity.

While this is a USA based organisation it offers access to interesting and helpful research, policy positions and other tools and resources that underpin its mission “To advance solutions that use housing as a platform for services to improve the lives of the most vulnerable people, maximize public resources and build healthy communities”
Six key strategies are pursued
1. INNOVATE, MEASURE AND EVALUATE SMART SOLUTIONS
2. ENGAGE AND INFLUENCE POLICY AND DECISION MAKERS
3. REFORM AND IMPROVE GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS
4. FUND NEW PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS
5. EDUCATE AND EMPOWER STAKEHOLDERS
6. LEAD AND EXPAND THE SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FIELD

CSH has been elevating individuals and families with lived experience for years now, ensuring they become community leaders and advocates for supportive housing across the country. Their stories of triumph over the traumas of housing instability, unnecessary institutionalization, addiction, severe medical and mental health disabilities, neglect and stigma, are inspirations and testimonies to the ability of supportive housing to move people from just surviving to openly thriving in our communities. See Videos showcasing Speaking Up by persons with lived experience of homelessness.