HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES

Common Ground's project work and advocacy efforts have always focused on housing for our most vulnerable people, including people with mental illnesses. We are well known for helping create housing for people with special needs. All four of our lines of business -- real estate development services, capacity building services, asset management services, advocacy- all offer some tailored services for people with disabilities. Over the past five years, we have worked hard to expand housing for people with mental illnesses and have also included the goal of creating or preserving 375 units of housing for people with mental illnesses in our 2009-2013 Strategic Plan. Some of our projects are listed below:

- Cascade Court, Cascade Mental Health: 12 units in Centralia
- Milwaukee Park Apartments, Compass Health: 15 units in Mt. Vernon
- Burien Campus, Navos: 23 units in Burien
- Rainier House, Downtown Emergency Service Center: 50 units in Seattle
- Brierwood Apartments, Community House: 22 units in Seattle

- Prepared the 2007 Mental Health Housing Action Planfor DSHS that calls for an additional 2400 units of permanent supportive housing by 2015 for people served by the public mental health system.

- Collaborated with our partners, the Corporation for Supportive Housing and Building Changes,to tailor the curriculum for Washington State and deliver two classes of the Supportive Housing Institute. Eleven of the 16 participating teams are developing housing projects for people with mental illnesses.

- Provide support, under a contract with DSHS, to the Mental Health Housing Consortium, a statewide group of RSNs, mental health providers, consumers, housing authorities and other housing sponsors who are sharing best practices and proposing policies and practices to significantly increase affordable housing for people with mental illnesses.

- Developing a web based guide for RSNs, mental health providers, and consumers on how to identify, secure, and support consumers to maintain stable housing and to support landlords to successfully rent to people with mental illnesses.

Please contact Lynn Davison, if you want to know more about any of these activities lynnd@commongroundwa.org.

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Quick News

CG Executive Director Announces Retirement - After serving over 13 years at Common Ground, Lynn Davison has announced her retirement. Lynn will continue to work for Common Ground through June 30th. She expects to take a break and "kick back at little" but will still be active in the industry working part time as an independent consultant. Her last day will be June 30 and preparations are underway for her retirement bash. Stay tuned for details in next month's newsletter.

Lynn Davison to be honored at HDC Event - The Housing Development Consortium of Seattle-King County is hosting its Annual Luncheon next week. This year, they will be honoring Common Ground Executive Director Lynn Davison with the first ever HDC Carla Okigwe Leadership Award. The event is free, but there will be an opportunity to make a personal contribution to HDC's work. Visit the HDC website for details.

Common Ground to Present at WSCH 20th Annual Conference - As part of our Board Advocacy Mobilization project, Common Ground will be be a presenting, "Empowering Non-Profit Boards to Advcoate for Ending Homelessness" at the Washington State Coalition for the Homeless Annual Conference. Lynn Davison, Walter Zisette, and Donald Chamberlain will present the first formal viewing of our 12 minute motivational video. Attendees will also learn the benefits of and techniques to convert non profit board members into fully engaged and powerful advocates for ending homelessness.

Mr. Landes Goes to Washington - Managing Developer Dan Landes attended the National Low Income Housing Coalition 2010 Annual Housing Policy Conference and Lobby Day April 11-14. Dan was there in support of Common Ground's 2010 Advocacy Agenda, which includes working with Congress to ensure $1B of funding for the National Trust Fund, encouraging the renewal of the exchange provision for Low Income Housing Tax Credits, and working with HUD to ensure that any reforms to the existing rental and operating assistance programs would continue to target extremely low-income households.

Common Ground 30th Anniversary Party - Eight limerick filled raffles, two big winners for our African Safari auction, a walk through the decades with Lynn Davison, stirring testimonial from Spokane Urban Ministries, and bidding for the punch line that won Norm Rice the title of America's funniest mayor all helped Common Ground gross over $70,000 to support our work in creating and preserving housing for people with low incomes and special needs. THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our Anniversary Party a rousing success. Special appreciation to the event sponsors who made the event possible:

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Bumgardner
Buchanan General Contracting
KeyBank
Security Properties
SMR Architects
Synergy Construction
Zeck Butler Architects

Show your support to our event sponsors, table hosts, and auction/raffle donors - their names can be found on our website. To make a donation in support of our 30th Anniversary, please mail your check to our Seattle office at 419 Occidental Avenue South # 201, Seattle WA 98104.