PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
ROHRS … Cecily Rohrs welcomes everyone who came to attend the meeting on what was described as a housing crisis in Fulton County.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
WAUSEON – A meeting was held to discuss what was described as a housing crisis in Fulton County last week. The meeting was held on Tuesday, June 11th at 4:30 p.m. inside Special Grounds Coffee.
Numerous officials from throughout the county were in attendance. The meeting itself was hosted by community partners who have come together to try and solve the crisis in our area.
The meeting facilitator was Cecily Rohrs. Rohrs is the Director of Shepherds Corner and is a part of the Archbold area.
Panelists for the event included Executive Director of the Delta Open Door Kristene Clark, Noah House Manager for the Pettisville Noah Foundation Nancy Allan, Samaritan Ministry Coordinator for Crossroads Church in Wauseon Sherill Woodard, Executive Director of NOCAC Angie Franklin, Public Assistance Supervisor for Fulton County JFS Amanda Mahlman, Together We Can Make A Difference Initiative-Pillars of Success Director Kelli Burkhardt, Archbold Elementary School Principal Andrea Thiel (not in attendance), Retired Businessman Karlin Wyse, Tyrone Burks from Archbold and Andrew Thomas of New Haven, Indiana.
The meeting began with Rohrs giving a description of the local crisis, as well as what needs to happen to fix this issue.
She also explained that she and her husband have been working to help those in need for nearly 40 years. On of the ways they help is by operating shelters in Fulton County, with three in Archbold and one in Wauseon.
“Without a single tax dollar, a group of generous community people have been providing space for those in need to get started again. We have a pretty good track record, but it’s obvious our modest efforts are not nearly enough.”
“If we’re going to solve the housing crisis in our area, we need to gather our influence and our expertise for positive action. Church groups, civic groups, and elected officials have been talking for decades.”
“We have a problem; we have a problem. And immediately about a month ago, I said, I cannot sit in another room and talk about this, we need to do something. And that’s why I organized this.”
“We are not here to tell you what we’re going to do and how were going to do it. We don’t know. We’re here to put the crisis front and center in your thinking and give you an assignment.”
“In a nutshell, we need three things. Number one, we need temporary short-term housing for those living in their cars and tents. And dozens of others this very day are couch surfing. Sleeping on grandma’s couch and moving on to another friend’s couch.”
“Now that used to work. It’s an age-old tradition. But it’s part of the crisis now because when they decide to bend down, tie their shoes, and get going, there is nowhere to go.”
“That brings us to number two. We need long-term affordable housing. And lots of it. Employers are begging for workers, but the lack of affordable housing makes coming to this area pretty difficult.”
“Community leaders have said forever, Cecily, we will build some upscale places and then everyone can move up. That is a fantasy.”
“When everyone moves up, investors move the modest homes and rent them for the immodest prices. And we have learned we need more than beds.”
“Three – we need a community of caring people to stand up and walk beside those who have stumbled. Any one of those three on your list of goals, anyone without the others, it’s not going to work. We need all three.”
“That’s why we are sold on the idea of local support and onsite supervision. Now I am very confident that it’s the fear factor that paralyzes many who could help erase the housing crisis. Let’s join forces to be ready and able to care for those who want a chance to stand on solid ground.”
The Executive Director of the Open Door in Delta was then introduced. Clark explained that the organization runs and operates a transitional housing unit. This unit has been open since 2010. The beds for this location are always full.
“Our beds are full. There’s no place to go. I had a gentleman who just was with us for slightly over a year, had everything taken care of, had a great job, benefits, everything, and needed to go into independent living to make room for someone else.”
“We couldn’t find a place for him to rent. He had no evictions, he had no problems with his credit, it’s just we had no housing available.”
“He ended up moving to Defiance and left our county. He is now looking for employment in Defiance. So, we are not only losing workers due to not having housing, were losing people to be in our communities and grow.”
Clark was then asked, even after getting everyone back on their feet there is nowhere to go? To that, she answered. “Nope, there’s still nowhere to go. For this gentleman, we made 21 phone calls to try and get him housing. Nothing.”
Nancy Allen for the Noah Foundation explained that their organization has three houses, one in Pettisville and the other two in Wauseon. Even with these houses, they still get 2-3 calls a week from people looking for housing.
“The hard thing is to tell people I don’t have any place, and I don’t know where to tell you to go.” Everyone is fairly in connection with each other, and the knowledge is there that nothing is available.”
Next was Sherill Woodard from Crossroads Church. She explained that she has spoken to 35 individuals or families in the past 18 months.
She also explained that when she started working with people back in 2005, housing was not the issue but now ¾ of messages is about help with rent, can’t find housing or have no housing at all.
NOCAC Executive Director Angie Franklin followed up on this conversation and explained that funding for this sort of help has all but dried up.
“For Years Community Action alone has had access to literally over $9 million of emergency rental assistance money that we were able to assess eligibility, basically you need to be homeless.”
“The income guidelines were pretty broad. So almost anyone, even people who were employed at a marginal level would qualify for this assistance.”
“We helped lots and lots of people that we’ve never been able to help before. We paid mortgage payments to prevent people from being foreclosed on.”
“And you know, we always knew that there was an issue. But once people find out, there’s actually help available and get encouraged by a family or friend or a case manager to say reach out to this help, you really started hearing their stories.”
“So once people are blessed enough to get housing, it’s the keeping housing that’s the most difficult part, and that’s where those numbers are going to continue to raise because that money from the COVID money and the cares funding that has really been a blessing to our community, and with people that work in our organization through the intake, they’ve never been able to help people at the level that we’ve been able to help in the past, that money is gone.”
“So now when people are calling for rental assistance, whether it be a referral from one of these organizations, right in Fulton County, or it be the person from the south, we have to say I’m sorry, all of our rental assistance is gone.”
“However, we can refer you to the Salvation Army, the church group, all of these different places, or we can put together up to $200 to help with rent through smaller levels of funding. Two hundred dollars is not going to get anybody housing. And it’s certainly not going to allow them to keep housing.”
She then went on to talk about the PATH Center which is located in Defiance. Franklin explained that this location is the only state-funded emergency shelter in the six-county area, and that this location has 16 beds. Even so, this location is consistently full.
Kelli Burkhardt of Together We Can Make a Difference, located out of Napoleon, explained that there are no homeless shelters in Henry County. To make matters worse, it costs upwards of $1,000 a week to put someone up in a hotel.
PANEL … A panel of local community partners speaks with local community members and government officials about their experiences with the housing crisis in the county.
To put someone up for a month or two costs upwards of $4,000 to $8,000. She further iterated that the “not in my backyard”, and fear factor is very present.
Next, Rohrs invited three additional individuals to speak. These people were Andrew Thomas, retired business owner Karlin Wyse, and Tyrone Burks. Thomas of New Haven, Indiana had previously struggled with homelessness and addiction. Burks had frequently spent time at CCNO and was out of Toledo at the time.
Both are now out on their own and volunteer their time to help give back to the program that supported them. Both put forward the hope that people will not give up on those who need help.
Mr. Wyse was present to explain his role in helping Burks to where he is now. Wyse had hired Burks to work at Lugbill Supply Company in Archbold.
After getting to know Burks, Wyse asked him if he would like to rent out the home next to where he lives. After being told yes, Wyse bought the home and rented it out to Burks.
After a few years, Burks moved to purchase the home, with Wyse stating, “He ended up being a very good neighbor and a very good friend.”
The organization working to help with the housing crisis would love help from the community. Anyone who is able to give ideas of potential housing or land that could be used to build housing is asked to contact Cecily Rohrs at 419-572-9530.
