Coshocton Community Housing

COSHOCTON COMMUNITY HOUSING

PLANNING ASSESSMENT

October, 2011

Prepared By

Introduction This study was commissioned by Coshocton Community Housing (CCH) as part of a strategic planning process conducted jointly by the board and staff. The project is being facilitated by the Disability Housing Network (DHN), on a capacity-building grant provided by the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. Executive Director Steve Champagne worked with DHN Technical Assistant Consultant Cathy Allen to design the assessment and planning process, which was subsequently approved by the CCH Board of Directors.

The respondents came from two separate and distinct groups: 1. Tenants (T). Paper surveys were distributed to all tenants with a cover letter from Steve assuring confidentiality of the responses and a return envelop addressed to DHN. 2. Coshocton County Board Staff (CB). Two county board staff, Superintendent Steve Oster and SSA Director Martha Richardson, were interviewed for this study. In addition, seven SSAs completed an online survey. While multiple efforts were made to reach residential services provider agencies, only one responded. That data is reported here with the county board staff.

Surveys were collected and interviews were conducted between September 26 and October 21, 2011. Every effort was made to help respondents feel comfortable sharing their experiences and views and respondents were advised that their names would not be associated with their comments. Surveys and written responses are

- 1 - reported verbatim except that spelling and grammatical errors are corrected in order to aid the reader and preserve the quality of the idea.

Summary The following are highlights of the data as seen by the interviewer. Individual board and staff members should review the complete data for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

 The words “affordable” and “accessible” appear regularly in responses to the first question regarding mission. Since people will often make mention of their biggest concern at the earliest opportunity, it is fair to assume that accessibility and affordability are primary concerns of county board staff.

 Satisfaction levels are much higher among tenants than among county board staff.

 Tenants report that their needs are being met and that they experience CCH as a responsive and sensitive landlord. Those who mention having a problem also report quick resolution.

 Tenants also rate CCH more highly than county board staff do across a variety of customer service related questions.

SWOT: Strengths Weaknesses  Executive director/new  Funding/Financial stability management  Lack of understanding peoples’  Communications needs  Quick responses/Good  Insufficient housing maintenance  No plan in place  Board  Quality of houses  County board support

Opportunities Threats  Develop more housing  Funding/budget cuts  Partnering with local agencies  Economy  Finding Funding  Networking with other housing  NIMBY-ism corps  Outside competition  Remote monitoring/Technology  Housing in unappealing neighborhoods

- 2 -  There is a high degree of correlation between suggestions for change, gaps, or priorities given by county board staff and those identified by board and CCH staff at the July planning retreat.

 County board staff indicate strong support for CCH, along with a desire to provide input, to collaborate, to engage in joint planning, and even potentially for renegotiate the existing master contract.

Mission (County Board staff only) What in your own words, should be the mission of CCH? This opening question is designed to initiate the “research partnership” between interviewer and respondent and focus each on the subject at hand. It also sets up the next question, having to do with overall satisfaction.

CB To provide options of quality, decent, affordable, handicap accessible residences for individuals with disabilities. CB To provide quality housing with accessibility to folks with disabilities in Coshocton County. CB To provide housing for the developmentally disabled in Coshocton. CB To provide safe housing to individuals in Coshocton County with a disability. CB To get the accessible housing for people in Coshocton County, maintain existing, keep people safe, give them a choice where they live, and make sure they are accessible. CB Providing the best housing possible by the means in which you have. CB To provide accessible, affordable, acceptable, and livable housing for individuals with disabilities. CB To provide affordable housing for people with disabilities in our community. CB To provide affordable and accessible housing to individuals with developmental disabilities.

On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 meaning extremely dissatisfied and 5 meaning extremely satisfied, how satisfied are you with… (Tenants) …CCH as a landlord? (County Board Staff) …how well CCH is performing that mission currently? Tenants (N=9) 4.67 County Board Staff (N=10) 3.30

- 3 - Additional comments from those who are satisfied or very satisfied: T I’m very satisfied now that Steve has taken over. I feel that it had taken too long for the bathroom to get done but Steve got it done when he started and they got it fixed. CB But need more. Additional comments from those who are neutral: CB They have a new director this year. Still, some housing corporations do so much more than we do. We need to expand the knowledge in the housing network, learn from others across the state. As an example, some are using grants to rehab houses in old neighborhoods [Neighborhood Stabilization Program.] The housing corporation should be fighting hard to get that money. Steve relies so much on Bob, but he needs to step into his own. Maybe he needs to network with others. Maybe if the board got some additional information about how housing is done other places, that would help. Additional comments from those who are dissatisfied: CB I don’t think many of the houses look very nice or are landscaped on the outside. CB When the houses were purchased, long ago, they were picked by the individuals. They are very small, only two individuals can live in them, and they are not handicapped accessible. The older housing requires constant maintenance. It is difficult to maintain a quality atmosphere in those homes.

Customer Service (County Board Staff Only) Who would you say are CCH’s customers? Response CB=10 People with disabilities 5 People receiving county board services 3 County Board 1 Community/Neighbors 1 Uncharacterized comment 1 Doesn’t like term “customers” 1

People with disabilities 5 CB Individuals with disabilities who need handicap accessible housing of affordable housing. CB Individuals with DD. CB Folks with disabilities. CB People with disabilities within our community. CB Individuals with disabilities.

People receiving county board services 3 CB Primarily folks who are served by the county board. CB Individuals in the Coshocton County Board of DD program CB Individuals in the program.

- 4 - County Board 1 CB County Board.

Community/Neighbors 1 CB Community. Keeping houses looking nice for the neighbors.

Uncharacterized comment 1 CB You work more with the SSA and other departments more than you do with the clients.

Doesn’t like term “customers” 1 CB The term “customers” does not reflect the true tenants of CCH. Rather, they are individuals with disabilities who have dreams of living on their own in the community.

(Tenants Only) Thinking about the last time you requested maintenance, please answer the following questions: T=9 Yes No Did the person with whom you filed the work order demonstrate an 9 0 interest in the problem? Was the repair made in a timely manner? 7 2 Did the repair meet your expectations? 8 1 Did you receive proper notice that CCH would be entering your home? 6 3 Did CCH staff leave your home as clean as it was when they entered? 9 1 Thinking about the last time you had contact with the CCH office, please answer the following: T=9 Yes No Did the person with whom you spoke demonstrate an interest in your 9 0 call? Was your call returned or your question answered in a timely manner? 9 0 Did the responsiveness of the staff meet your expectations? 9 0 Is CCH staff available at times that are convenient for you? 8 1

Additional Comments about Maintenance Issues: T Some things could have been done better. I’ve complained about our bath needing done for two years now and they just got it done in August. The floor was soft. T Supposed to be 24 hours notice.

Additional Comments about Office/Management Issues: T Should have number to call after hours.

- 5 - (Tenants Only) Have you had any problems with any of the services you received from CCH in the past two years? If so, what were they? What steps did you take to resolve them? T=9 Mentioned a problem 3 No problems 3 No answer 3

Additional comments from those who mentioned a problem: T Our shower upstairs and my bedroom lights. I called CCH and it was responded to immediately. T We’ve had problems with our bathroom floor getting wet, then soft. I had called several times on this issue. Now when Steve started it got fixed in August. T Kitchen sink, shower and toilet. Called [provider agency] and did a repair order.

On a scale from 1 to five, with one meaning strongly disagree and 5 meaning strongly agree, please rate the following statements: T=9 CB=10 CCH provides me/tenants with safe housing. 4.33 4.0 CCH is holding up their end of the lease agreement. 4.44 3.9 CCH holds up their end of management contracts. 3.9 CCH hears and considers the expressed concerns of their 4.33 3.7 tenants. CCH hears and considers the expressed concerns of their 3.7 partners and other stakeholders. CCH staff treat me/tenants with dignity and respect. 4.33 4.1 CCH treats partners and other stakeholders with dignity and 4.2 respect. When I contact CCH, my opinion seems to count. 4.22 On a scale from 1 to five, with one meaning strongly disagree and 5 meaning strongly agree, please rate the following statements: T=9 CB=10 CCH communicates with me/its tenants effectively. 4.33 3.8 CCH communicates effectively with its partners and other 3.8 stakeholders. CCH has a good relationship with its tenants. 3.8 CCH has a good relationship with its partners and other 3.7 stakeholders. I/my organization has a good relationship with CCH. 4.22 4.2 CCH properties are well-maintained. 4.33 3.6 CCH is meeting my/the community’s housing needs. 4.44 2.8 I plan to continue living in an CCH property for the foreseeable 4.55 future. I would recommend CCH to other people like me. 4.55

- 6 - Additional comments about communication: CB Tenants have to go through SSA to make maintenance requests so communication is indirect. CB I am not completely sure how communication with tenants occurs. Additional comments about having a good relationship with CCH: CB Usually do not have a lot of contact with CCH unless there is a repair or they have an open home and need a new resident. Additional comments about meeting the community’s housing needs: CB There is a major need in the county for homes with 4-5 bedrooms and also homes which are handicap accessible. CB CCH needs to have more homes that are wheelchair accessible.

SWOT Analysis (Strengths – Weaknesses – Opportunities – Threats) These questions were asked only of the county board staff. An organization’s internal strengths and external opportunities can be built upon to achieve a greater degree of excellence. Internal weaknesses must be overcome and external threats managed in order to avoid failure. Strengths What would you say are the internal strengths of CCH? Response CB=10 Executive Director/New Management 3 Communications 2 Quick responses/good maintenance 2 Good board 1 County board support 1 Treat people well 1 Don’t know/No answer 5

Executive Director/New Management 3 CB The executive director is very dependable. CB New management. CB The people who run or manage Coshocton Community Housing know and understand the needs of their clients.

Communications 2 CB Communicate well with tenants and stakeholders. CB They try to communicate with partners.

Quick responses/good maintenance 2 CB For the most part they respond quickly if there is a serious problem, like the AC is out or a water line breaks.

- 7 - CB Houses are well-maintained, though not always landscaped very well.

Good board 1 CB Good board in place. It could grow, but they have people who are committed.

County board support 1 CB They certainly have the support of the county board. We have partnered with them financially.

Treat people well 1 CB They treat individuals fairly for the most part.

Weaknesses What are the internal weaknesses? Response CB=10 Funding/financial stability 4 Not understanding what people need 2 Not enough housing 1 No plan in place 1 Quality of homes 1 New director needs experience 1 Don’t know/No answer 5

Funding/financial stability 4 CB Funding CB We have financial liability in homes where people don’t want to live. Their financial stability worries me. They need a good financial person to help them, to put together a plan for paying off some of the properties. CB Probably not enough money to do everything that is needed. CB Not enough accessible housing, or finances to improve the already owned homes, and to purchase more property as a way to expand the services.

Not understanding what people need 2 CB Their expectation of how housing should be maintained is a bit unrealistic. You should have high expectations for people with disabilities, but you need to work with these tenants who have disabilities to make sure they can take care of the housing. CB I don’t think they have the true pulse of what the people need. We are sending people out of county right now because we don’t have housing that is really accessible or in neighborhoods where people want to live. Not enough housing 1 CB Not enough accessible housing, or finances to improve the already owned homes, and to purchase more property as a way to expand the services.

- 8 - No plan in place 1 CB We need a 3-5 year plan, especially around what needs are going to be down the road. They have never asked us what we need. Quality of homes 1 CB Just the quality of their houses. There is only so much you can do with older homes. I mean inside the homes are not maintained very well. New director needs experience 1 CB The new director needs more experience under his belt. Opportunities What external opportunities are available, or likely to become available in the next few years that would help CCH achieve its mission? Response CB=10 Develop more housing 3 Partnerships with local agencies, including county board 3 Finding funding 2 Network with other housing corporations in Ohio 2 Remote monitoring/technology 1 Don’t know/No answer 6

Develop more housing 3 CB We will need additional homes. Currently, we do not have enough homes for people in Coshocton County. There is very little handicapped accessible homes. They may have ramps, but inside there are not wide enough, especially for someone in a motorized chair. CB Purchasing more suitable housing for the developmentally disabled. CB Opportunity to develop in other parts of the county, maybe in downtown Coshocton.

Partnerships with local agencies, including county board 3 CB They have an opportunity to approach the county board about assistance. We can renegotiate it now. We want them to be successful and it makes sense for them to be financially stable. CB Habitat for Humanity wants to build a house and they are looking for partners. CB I would venture to say that networking with other housing agencies and community collaboration would aide in the growth of CCH. Finding funding 2 CB Do a better job of accessing grant money and other funding. We live in an economically depressed area. There is some money through the department that they could have accessed and didn’t. Need to find funding to build or buy new housing that is bigger, more accessible. CB Grant writing. Is there anywhere else to get funding? Network with other housing corporations in Ohio 2

- 9 - CB Network with other housing corporations to learn about some options that are available. Bring outside agency in to inspect our homes, things that locally we might have missed. CB I would venture to say that networking with other housing agencies and community collaboration would aide in the growth of CCH. Remote monitoring/technology 1 CB Remote monitoring and other technology is increasingly becoming an opportunity.

Threats What external threats exist or could exist in the next few years that could hinder CCH in achieving its mission? Response CB=10 Funding/budget cuts 3 Economy 1 Not In My Backyard - ism 1 Competition from other landlords 1 Housing in unappealing neighborhoods 1 Don’t know/No answer 4 Funding/budget cuts 3 CB Lack of funding. CB Cuts in budgets. CB Funding availability. Economy 1 CB Home values going down. Unemployment in Coshocton County. Not In My Backyard - ism 1 CB Probably the only threat I see, depending on where we want to build new housing, we have some neighborhoods where people would not be welcoming. We would have to work with the neighborhood and make sure they accept people with disabilities. We haven’t seen a whole lot of it but it does happen. Competition from other landlords 1 CB Compared to some of the apartment complexes in Coshocton County it is possible for them to have a much nicer home and usually cheaper.

Housing in unappealing neighborhoods 1 CB Houses they own are not places people want to live.

Changes What changes, if any, would you make to the services that are provided by CCH? Response CB=10 Funding/financial stability 3 Input/feedback from tenants and county board 2

- 10 - Get SSA department out of maintenance 1 Board training 1 Networking across the state 1 Improve existing housing 1 Don’t know/No answer 4

Funding/financial stability 3 CB I do not see any needed changes at this time; however more funding could lead to more housing. CB Look at finances and loans, get professional advice. CB Improve the homes already owned and continually look for funding opportunities as a way to expand the housing service provided.

Input/feedback from tenants and county board 2 CB If they are talking about a major renovation, or buying something new, get input on that from the county board before going off on their own. They should get with us beforehand, rather than telling us afterward. This is especially important for the folks who live in the homes. They need a chance to provide input. They have sometimes made decisions that we think is a waste of money, tenants could give them better ideas. CB I would like the CCH board to understand the role of Service and Support Administrators and what an SSA means to the individuals who live in the CCH homes. I would also like to see them understand DD waivers and consult with the agency or independent providers who staff the individuals who live in CCH homes.

Get SSA department out of maintenance 1 CB Direct communication between tenants and CCH for maintenance issues.

Board training 1 CB Bring training in for the board: what do housing corporations do? What resources are available? Get board members to understand how to participate. Make sure everyone knows about and cares about housing. Maybe they have that now, I don’t know.

Networking across the state 1 CB Networking more across the state.

Improve existing housing 1 CB Improve the homes already owned and continually look for funding opportunities as a way to expand the housing service provided.

- 11 - What important needs exist where CCH could make a difference? Response CB=10 Accessible housing 4 More housing 3 Housing for young adults 1 Affordable housing 1 Don’t know/No answer 3

Accessible housing 4 CB More handicapped accessible housing, especially for folks who use wheelchairs. There is really limited housing for those folks. CB The most important need is to have homes which are larger and even more importantly handicap accessible. CB Handicapped accessible – one floor plans. CB Wheel chair housing. More housing 3 CB The most important need is to have homes which are larger and even more importantly handicap accessible. CB The need for more housing CB We need more housing. Most CCH homes can only house 2 people… some can house three. It would be nice to have a house (or two) with the capacity to have four tenants. Housing for young adults 1 CB Need for homes for kids 21-22 in safe neighborhoods. Affordable housing 1 CB People who can’t afford rent due to low income.

Priority Setting What three things would you like to see CCH accomplish in the next two years? Response CB=10 More housing/expand options 7 Upgrade existing housing 4 Get tenant input 2 Bring in more money 1 Determine need for housing corporation 1 Bring rents down 1 Don’t know/No answer 2

More housing/expand options 7 CB Build at least one 4-person or more home with total handicapped accessibility. CB Perhaps sell some of the older homes and use that money to upgrade and purchase new. CB Purchase at least one new home that is more appropriate.

- 12 - CB Expand housing options for people, accessible and in good neighborhoods. CB More homes that are wheelchair accessible. CB More quality housing available. CB To be able to provide more housing for those who need it. To grow. CB Purchase more property. Upgrade existing housing 4 CB Perhaps sell some of the older homes and use that money to upgrade and purchase new. CB Even though some improvements have been made to the homes there are still some which could be made to make them look better. CB Updates in some of the homes. See properties looking nicer on the outside (pride of ownership.) CB To be able to keep up on the repairs and/or any remodeling that may need done with these homes. Get tenant input 2 CB Put one of our folks/tenants on their board to advise them, someone who knows about housing and what individuals want. CB Perhaps have a general meeting with all tenants to find out what they would like. Bring in more money 1 CB Receive more monies. Determine need for housing corporation 1 CB I would like the board to figure out if they truly need their own housing corporation or could join with others. Bring rents down 1 CB Figure out the finances, how to get reasonable rent for everyone. Some are just too high.

Advice for Planning Do you have any other advice for the board and management team to consider as it develops its plan for the next few years? The final question is intended as a catch-all, a last chance to put any issues or guidance on the radar screen for the board’s planning process. Eight tenants and six county board staff had no further advice. T Hopefully the new management does better than the last. CB Housing for young adults with disabilities. CB Talk to other housing corporations and see what is out there. CB Maybe do a joint board meeting with the county board of DD, they could come and present and answer questions… just talk. CB I have no expertise in managing a housing board. I can only offer that as I attend conferences and seminars on self-advocacy, I see that Coshocton

- 13 - County has room for growth in providing affordable, livable, accessible housing for folks with disabilities. CB Purchase more property to provide needed housing opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

- 14 -