Hope Solutions 2021-2022 Annual Report

Are Hope has an

We are honored to share our 2022 “Hope has an Address” annual report with you. Looking back at our fscal year, we are proud to report that, with your support, we have made a tremendous impact, not only for the people we serve, but in the broader community. We are well into our 5-year strategic plan and are on track to meet or exceed all our goals. Since 2018, we housed an additonal 790 households and have contnued to achieve strong outcomes. A few of the new initatves driving that growth include:

• Contnuum of Care Rental Assistance Program in partnership with the Housing Authority to provide support services to over 300 households living in the community with a voucher.

• Project HomeSAFE, a new program in partnership with STAND! provides rapid re-housing to 16 households annually for survivors of domestc violence.

• Clinical support services at Richmond Hacienda—a beautfully refurbished afordable housing development for 150 seniors, due to lease up this fall.

As always, our program growth has been done with intenton and support, and our residents contnue to demonstrate tremendous success across the program. For example, 94% of households facing evicton remained permanently housed, 84% of youth in youth enrichment programs achieved four or more new academic benchmarks, and 95% of residents established or maintained contact with their primary health care provider.

Additonally, we completed planning for our Homes Heal Hearts capital campaign designed to create communites of tny homes on faithowned lands in Contra Costa County. We look forward to making a formal announcement in early 2023 and invitng you to be part of our success. To support this growth, we have added 41 new staf since 2020, and 63% of our promotons have been BIPOC leaders of our organizaton. We are proud to report that we contnue to do all of this while holding administratve costs at 10%.

Rendering of “tny home” cotages.

Economic uncertainty and rising rents pose ongoing challenges, but with a strong foundaton, commited partners and your contnued support, we are poised to contnue to overcome these obstacles. We are grateful to you—our donors, partners and volunteers—who contnually inspire us to envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so they can live with dignity and reach their full potental.

Read on to learn more about the impact our programs are having and to be inspired by a story of a resident who has found stability and hope from the security of a permanent home.

Thank you for helping us bring hope to our community.

With Grattude,

On the Cover

Rayzhane and her family were featured in the 2021 John Muir Health Community Beneft Report in a story about how Hope Solutons Housing Navigator, Cynthia Garret helped get them back on track through housing and support services. Use your smartphone to scan the QR code or read the story at HopeSolutons.org.

Donald O’Neal Board Chair Deanne Pearn Chief Executive Officer

Leadership Board of Directors

Donald O’Neal, Chair

Karen Rolfes, Vice Chair

Fiscal Year 2021-2022

Stephanie Bontemps, Finance Chair

Elaine Davis, Secretary

Denise Dodson

Kara Douglas

Christa Fairfeld

Carol Gilliland

Father John Kasper, OSFS

Cheryl O’Connor

Aaron Nissim

Leslie Polgar

Dr. Jef Rideout

Steve Seiler

Faith and Community Partners

Boy Scout Troop 246

Boy Scout Troop 302

Boys Team Charity - Walnut Creek

Church of Santa Maria

Clayton Valley Presbyterian Church

Concord United Methodist Church

Congregaton B’nai Shalom

Congregaton B’nai Tikvah

Danville Congregatonal Church

Episcopal Church of the Resurrecton

First Christan Church of Concord

First Church of Christ, Scientst, Pleasant Hill

First Presbyterian Church of Concord

Girl Scout Troop 31955

Girl Scout Troop 32770

Grace Episcopal Church of Martnez

Grace Presbyterian Church

Japanese Christan Church

Kiwanis Club of Moraga Valley

Lafayete Christan Church

Lafayete Orinda Presbyterian Church

Lafayete United Methodist Church

Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary

Lions Club of Rossmoor

Miramonte Interact

Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church

NCL Acalanes Chapter

Orinda Community Church

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church

Rotary Club of Concord

Rotary Club of Lafayete

Rotary Club of Orinda

San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church

St. Agnes Catholic Church

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church

St. Bonaventure Catholic Church

St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

St. Perpetua Catholic Church

St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church

TAPS Walnut Creek

Temple Isaiah

The Bay Church

Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church

Bold = Founding Partner

There contnues to be an extreme shortage of afordable housing in Contra Costa County. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultng economic crisis contnue to have a ripple efect.

Hsing Crisis

• Afordable rent is defned as 30% of a renter’s monthly income.

• Renters in Contra Costa County need to earn $41.77 per hour

2.7 tmes the City of Richmond minimum wage—to aford the average monthly asking rent of $2,172.

• Asking rents in Contra Costa County increased by 5.3% between Q4 2020 and Q4 2021.

• California Housing Partnership estmates that we need more than 27,709 additonal units of afordable housing in Contra Costa County to meet the current need of our residents.

Who is Homele in r Cnty?

People served in the Contra Costa Contnuum of Care Housing System: 6,816 households comprised of 9,119 people.

of households were adult-only

of households had a disabling condition

• Chronic Health

• Development Disability

• Mental Health

• Physical Disability

• Substance Use Disorder

(Some households may have more than one conditon.)

Hsing Inequity is Racial Inequity

increase of families with children

increase of seniors (62+)

Homeless data demonstrates racial inequites within our county. Natve Americans and Black/African Americans are disproportonately represented in the homeless system of care at 8X and 4X higher than their overall populaton in the county respectvely.

Source: Contra Costa County Health, Housing & Homeless Services 2021 Annual Report

Soluti

Vision

At Hope Solutons we are working to end homelessness. Our housing-frst approach, coupled with supportve services, brings dignity to our clients, and helps them rebuild their community. Our data-backed and proven model of support is grounded on quality permanent housing solutons and individualized service.

Mission

We envision a world in which everyone has a place to call home and the support of a strong community so that they can live with dignity and reach their full potental.

We heal the efects of poverty and homelessness by providing permanent housing solutons and vital support services to highly vulnerable families and individuals.

Values

We are commited to excellence, and we accomplish our work with integrity, respect, compassion, and humility.

Ending Homelessness: Our model is ending homelessness for families and at-risk individuals we serve:

92% of all households remain permanently housed

94% of households facing evicton remained permanently housed

Improving Self-Sufciency: Our intensive case-management increases housing stability and self-sufciency:

95% of residents established or maintained contact with their primary health care provider

93% of residents maintained or improved their employment status

82% of residents maintained or increased income

Children’s Success

100% of students in our youth enrichment program advanced to the next grade level

91% of parents atending our support groups exhibited improved parentng skills

86% of teens in our programs showed improved self-esteem

84% of youth in our programs achieved four or more new academic benchmarks

Strategic Plan Updates

Our fve-year strategic plan is our foundaton and guide to improve impact, build capacity, and reduce the number of unhoused individuals and families in our community. We are more than half-way through our fve-year plan and are proud of our success thus far.

To address our community’s critcal shortage of afordable housing, our strategic plan is anchored on the goal of tripling our annual delivery of permanent housing solutons and support services for highly vulnerable families, youth, and seniors. Our goal, set in 2018, is to provide housing and services to 375 households by the end of FY 2024. We are proud to report we have already exceeded this goal. Our focus now is to increase the number of housing units we own, through new constructon or acquisiton/ rehabilitaton.

Increase Revenue  Fuel

gram Expansi

Contract Revenue: 137% increase in federal, state, and local contracts from $3.5M in 2018 to $8.5M in 2022, including the Contnuum of Care Rental Assistance Program.

Private Giving Income: 176% increase from $600k in 2018 to $1.06M in 2022.

Capital Campaign: Created the infrastructure and recruited Capital Campaign Commitee, conducted feasibility study and are in the early stages of our Homes Heal Hearts Campaign.

Expanded Probaton Housing Program to support youth aged 18-26.

Actvated Our Housing Task Force to launch new housing projects. Five projects in process or consideraton.

Hired Director of Strategic Initatves to oversee new growth and housing initatves.

Focused on External Policy Work through our Resident Empowerment Program (REP).

Increase Infrasucture Capacity

Staf Development: Our team members are the heart of Hope Solutons. Investng in staf development and capabilites not only builds on our success, but is aligned with our values. We are contnuing to invest in performance coaching, structured professional development, and a culture of empowerment.

Promotons: In 2022, fve of our eight promotons to manager or director were Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC).

Board Recruitment: Our board contnues to grow capacity through improved structure and by recruitng new members. Our two newest members are BIPOC.

Year Thr Highlights

Program Highlights

At Hope Solutons we are working to end homelessness. Our housingfrst approach, coupled with supportve services, brings dignity to our clients, and helps them rebuild their community. Our data-backed and proven model of support is grounded on quality permanent housing solutons and individualized service. In 2022, we launched new programs to serve new communites.

Pject HomeSAFE

Since 2019, Hope Solutons, Family Justce Center and STAND! For Families Free of Violence, have partnered to provide services to families afected by domestc violence.

As a result of the strength of this partnership, in 2022 Hope Solutons and STAND! launched an additonal program to provide urgent help to families feeing domestc violence situatons.

Project HomeSAFE ofers rapid re-housing services, including housing search, placement, and subsidy assistance coupled with critcal support services to keep families from becoming unhoused. STAND! provides individual survivor advocacy and group support while Hope Solutons provides case management and property management assistance for partcipants in this program. Director of Navigaton & Rapid Re-Housing, Tanya Ford-Goins, is proud of the work of these teams. “We are removing barriers to help fnd safe housing and allow these families to fnd fnancial independence and feel secure.”

Yth and Yng Adult Expanisi  Pbati

In 2022, we launched a new program that grew out of our expertse and success of two of our existng programs, our Probaton Housing Program and our Youth and Young Adult Housing Support Program. This new probaton program supports youth 18-26 years. The program helps fnd housing and connects our clients to critcal services including locatng employment and improving fnancial literacy.

Ctinuum of Care Rental Aistance Pgram

“People start to heal the moment they feel heard. Once you give a listening ear to folks it changes their view.”

– Mashal Kleven, Program Manager

The Contnuum of Care (CoC) Rental Assistance Program employs our housing frst philosophy and helps more than 300 clients living with disability or who are seniors across Contra Costa County. The program fnds housing and provides critcal services to help clients overcome mental health, substance use and physical health challenges to enable them to move forward with their lives.

The program transitoned to Hope Solutons from Contra Costa County Health, Housing & Homeless Services and operates as part of the County Coordinated Entry System. A program manager and three case managers work to help stabilize people experiencing homelessness, by providing fexible, integrated services that can empower them to build beter foundatons at home.

A New Sense of Counity

In 2016, Sophia lef her home in Puerto Rico with hopes of creatng a new life on the mainland United States. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen health challenges and lack of resources, Sophia began experiencing homelessness. While unhoused, Sophia’s physical and mental health declined rapidly, and she began to feel hopeless in her eforts to secure permanent housing.

In 2022, Sophia was referred to the CoC Rental Assistance Program where the team immediately mobilized to help her fnd stability. The Hope Solutons team assisted Sophia with resolving food insecurity, addressing health challenges, linking her to other support services, and fnding housing. Afer six years without secure housing, Sophia now has a new apartment of her own. With support from Hope Solutons, Sophia is empowered, and has a new sense of community.

Sophia about to enter her apartment for the frst tme.

A Safe Landing

It is easy for many of us to take for granted the security of a stable roof over our heads. That security is ofen the frst step towards making change in many of our clients’ lives. Earlier this summer, our client Susan took that step.

As with many of our clients, we frst learned of Susan’s situaton through Contra Costa County’s Coordinated Entry System (CES). The system ensures that all people experiencing a housing crisis have access to available resources and prioritzes limited resources for the most vulnerable. Our service managers, Michele Eklund and John Gallagher, met Susan on a street in Richmond along with members of the county’s Coordinated Outreach, Referral, Engagement (C.O.R.E.) team.

“Michele literally did the client intake interview with the paperwork on the hood of a county C.O.R.E. team jeep—me trying to help hold down Michele’s papers in the wind,” said John Gallagher.

Susan had been living on the street, in and out of shelters for several years. She had lef everything from her previous life behind as she fed from a situaton of domestc violence. Susan’s story is common; 20% of those seeking crisis services in Contra Costa County reported surviving domestc violence.1

“When I frst went out on the street, it felt liberatng and strong to be out of the situaton,” said Susan, “but I went out in the middle of the pandemic with nothing but the clothes on my back. I didn’t have my social security card yet and their ofces were closed, so I couldn’t get housing.”

Poem by Susan

“If you wait or hesitate, Your life may manifest a fate; Begot of not of thoughts so thin; Where circles dwell, and ends begin.”

Susan in her new apartment.

Susan lived in a shelter for several months and found work restoring a van. Her spot in the shelter was temporary and meant that she needed to move locatons, so she had to give up her work. She lost the spot in the shelter and the few belongings she had gathered and ended up living in a van. It was at that van where the C.O.R.E. team connected with Susan to provide support.

Once the Hope Solutons team gathered all the needed informaton, they were able to fnd Susan a new home—a twobedroom apartment with a roommate and a room that was all her own.

John and Amber Grifn, one of Hope Solutons’ compassionate property managers, met Susan to collect her few things from the van she had been living in.

“What a humbling experience,” said John, “we got her moved into the apartment that morning and I remember the enormous smile on her face when Amber handed her the key.”

Now that she is home, Susan can reconnect with some of her passions. She loves to fsh and has fshed many of the Bay Area shorelines. She also loves riding the bike that John was able to fnd for her. While Susan chated with us for this profle, John spent tme checking the bike. It’s a small example of how Hope Solutons case managers provide all types of help to our clients.

“I love my bike, says Susan. “I go everywhere on it. I put my grocery bags on each handlebar and of I go.”

An avid writer, Susan is also beginning to write in her journals again. She writes poetry and one of her poems was recognized in an internatonal poetry contest. She graciously agreed to share her poem of hope with us.

Susan is now setling into her new surroundings. “It’s hard to get used to the security. I feel altered by this experience, and I just want to get normal again. I stll have a lot of medical issues that I want to atend to, but now I feel like I have hope.”

1. Contra Costa County, Health, Housing, and Homeless Services 2021 Annual Report.

Susan and Case Manager John Gallagher.

Volunteers: the Heart of Hope Solutions

Over the year, our volunteers helped us multply the impact of our work by providing direct service to our clients.

1,965 Homework Club volunteer hours

641 People received holiday gifts donated by more than 75 organizations and families

400 backpacks donated by 85 organizations and individuals

2,796 total volunteer hours

MLK Jr. Day of Service Camp Hope

Corporate Volunteer Events

Annual On-Site Pumpkin Carvings

Garden Park Apartments Resident Dinners

Financials*

Source of Funds Use of Funds

How to Help

Our supporters have been at the heart of Hope Solutions since day one. From the first group of congregations who founded Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, to the expanded group of faith communities, civic clubs, families, retirees, professionals, and students, you are critical to our ability to support our residents.

Donate

Make a Donaton: Make an outright donaton or become a “Sustaining Hope” Supporter by making a recurring gif.

Leave a Legacy: Create a legacy to beneft future generatons by leaving a bequest to support Hope Solutons’ greatest need.

Make a Gif of Stock: By transferring appreciated stocks, bonds, or mutual fund shares.

Make a Gif of Donor-Advised Funds: Your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) can help Hope Solutons by providing a fexible, low-cost method of supportng our clients.

Volunteer

Afer School Support: Tutor a student at one of our on-site afer school programs.

Resident Dinners or BBQs: Come together to provide and share a meal with our community.

Resident Move-Ins: Prepare a unit for a new resident.

Spirit of Giving: Give the gif of giving. Sponsor a family during the holidays to help create special memories that will last a lifetme.

Donaton Drives: Host a “Hope Drive” to provide essental items for families. We are always in need of diapers, ready to go move-in kits, hygiene products, or welcome baskets to support the families at Hope Solutons.

Advocate for Affordable Housing

Atend a city council meetng or write to your local congressperson in support of more afordable housing in the community. To end poverty successfully, we must commit to increasing afordable housing for all.