A new Common Ground building has opened in central Melbourne. Elizabeth Street Common Ground is the first of its kind in the state of Victoria and just the second in Australia.

It was officially opened by the Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek and the Victorian Premier John Brumby together with HomeGround Services CEO and Australian Common Ground Alliance Chairperson Stephen Nash, Yarra Community Housing Chairperson Linda Hoskins and Grocon CEO Daniel Grollo. The event celebrated the enormous contribution of all project partners and more than 70 subcontractors. The ceremony featured a moving speech by a future tenant who

Elizabeth Street Common Ground will provide Supportive Housing for 65 people who have previously experienced homelessness. All these tenants will have high quality permanent apartments and ongoing support. Another 96 apartments will be rented to low income singles and families.

The building also features a central city location, large communal spaces, is close to transport and employment, a positive social mix, secure access and a 24-hour support desk.

Elizabeth Street Common Ground is a partnership between HomeGround Services, Yarra Community Housing, the Victorian and Federal Governments, the Victorian Property Fund and Grocon. HomeGround will manage all on-site support services for Elizabeth Street Common Ground tenants.More Common Ground housing is planned for other Australian cities.

More information: www.elizabethstcgsh.org.au / www.homeground.org.au / www.ych.org.au / www.grocon.com.au

A year ago, the first tenants moved into the graceful seven-story building at 410 Asylum Street in downtown Hartford, a major step in what historical preservationists (and hockey announcers) call “a great save.” What was going to be a parking garage is instead a home to hundreds of people. A year later, it is well on its way to being a major success story — if they can just get a coffee shop.

The owners of an adjacent building acquired 410 Asylum in the late 1990s and planned to tear it down for parking. This, sadly, has been the fate of much of downtown Hartford’s architectural patrimony. But not this time.

Preservationists were quick to point out that the structure was one of the few surviving neo-Classical Revival buildings in downtown Hartford. It was designed by Thomas W. Lamb, whose portfolio includes the old Madison Square Garden, as well as many of New York and Connecticut’s splendid old theaters.

Also, location, location. It’s part of the wall of buildings that are the backdrop for Bushnell Park and the Capitol across the street, an aesthetic that would be diminished by demolition. So state officials threatened to go to court. Mayor Mike Peters, who unlike so many politicians could speak in simple declarative sentences, said:”That building is not coming down while I’m the mayor.”

The owners, a couple named Betty Ruth and Milton Hollander of Stamford, then did something that doesn’t happen nearly enough — they changed their minds. Instead of dragging the parking proposal through the courts, they gave the building away for housing. Who they gave it to was of vital importance.

That would be Rosanne Haggerty, founder of the nonprofit group Common Ground. She had developed an international reputation — two “60 Minutes” profiles, a MacArthur “genius grant,” etc. — for turning historic properties into supportive and affordable housing. Though her early successes were in New York City, she is a West Hartford native who wanted to do a project in downtown Hartford.

After a spirited debate with Mayor Eddie Perez over the tenant mix, in which both sides compromised, Haggerty got the green light for the building she renamed “The Hollander.” Of the 70 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments, 56 would be “affordable,” meaning that tenants could earn no more than 60 percent of the area’s median income (the limit is $23,690 to $45,960 depending on family size) while the other 14 units are rented at market rate. The apartments were all rented by the spring.

Common Ground, using historic and low-income tax credits and other resources, invested $22.5 million into rehabbing the building. The building has a host of energy-saving features — a green roof, advanced recycling system, low-flow toilets, insulated windows — and is the first building of its kind in the state to win LEED (Gold) certification.

When Haggerty got involved, some thought she was really creating a homeless shelter. There’s a place in cities for homeless shelters, until society can provide enough supportive housing, but this isn’t a shelter. Tenants are carefully screened. Some are retired, a few are disabled but most work, in a great variety of jobs ranging from nurse and insurance worker to bus driver and cake decorator. Sharon M. Gowen, the building’s manager, said the tenants are all doing well, are not doing anything amiss, are “just leading their lives.”

Gowen, a bright and engaging woman who is a retired Fannie Mae executive, showed me through the building on Monday. It has the feel, even the smell, of a well-managed building. “I like tidy,” she said. The apartments are very nice; we popped into a sixth-floor with a spectacular view of the park and the Capitol. I can imagine opening the window for Monday Night Jazz or having some friends over the fireworks.

A number of tenants have dogs, and Gowen says dogs are good for cities. “Dogs put (human) feet on the street. Dog walkers meet other dog walkers, so they help people get to know their neighbors.”

The most challenging part of the project has been the first-floor commercial space. The building always had retail on the first floor — a piano store, a bank, etc. Common Ground has tried mightily to get a grocer into the first floor, as well as a local coffee house and other businesses. It’s been tough, not just because of the recession, but also because excavations for the MDC sewer project are going on right outside the door.

Gowen said the thought now is to “whitebox” the commercial area — clean and prepare the space — and then do some serious marketing. “We’ll be OK. I’ve got a heck of a building here,” Gowen said. She also said her organization is rethinking the grocery store. Conventional wisdom has always been that downtown needed a large grocer. None of the big guys have been willing to commit. Maybe they know something. Gowen said people in cities “shop often, buy small and buy less on each trip ” than their suburban counterparts. So maybe the small food stores — another is opening up the street — plus the community-supported agriculture drop-offs in the summer are enough.

In any event, I hope the success of Hollander inspires more rehab and infill housing that working people can afford. If Hartford is ever rescued from parking lots and highways, this may be the building that turned the corner.

To read the original article, click here.

A major effort to identify and assist the homeless who live on the streets of downtown San Diego will take place in September.

Called the Downtown San Diego Registry Week, the initiative goes beyond past efforts that have tried to get a grip on this growing social problem, organizers say.

“We’re going to try and find out who’s the most vulnerable,” said Robin Munro, an attorney who’s chairing the registry’s leadership team.

The homeless will be ranked based on need. The ones with the most pressing problems will be given immediate assistance, with the focus on getting them housing, she said.

The Downtown San Diego Partnership is spearheading the effort and is getting help from New York-based Common Ground Community, which has performed similar registries in a number of cities.

“It’s a tested and refined system,” Munro said.

This will be the first time it’s been done in San Diego. Volunteers will fan out on the streets starting Sept. 20.

They will go out in teams of four or five and be assisted by a social worker. The homeless, if they’re willing to cooperate, will be asked detailed questions about their histories. If they agree, their pictures will be taken.

As many as 800 homeless live in the city’s downtown, according to estimates. Munro said that as many as 40 percent may be veterans, given national statistics on the homeless.

Because of the faltering economy, a number of the homeless are also new to the streets and don’t know what services are available, she said. The registry could help by matching them with available programs.

Common Ground Community did a similar effort in Times Square in New York and succeeded in getting 87 percent of the homeless housing in a four-year span, said Becky Kanis, of the organization. She’s based in Los Angeles and is director of Common Ground’s 100,000 Homes Campaign. The goal of that is to find homes for 100,000 homeless by July 2013.

It’s a myth that the homeless don’t want housing, Kanis said. Many are just too ill to navigate the system. That’s where this registry steps in. It also puts names and faces on the homeless, which helps rally a community to help.

Bob Morris, another local person involved in the effort, said it’s no pipe dream. Already, there are commitments by different agencies to provide housing for 125 people.

San Diego’s effort is being supported by a broad range of local agencies and businesses. A number of local leaders are volunteering to help with the survey, including San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, City Councilman Kevin Faulconer and San Diego County Supervisors Greg Cox and Ron Roberts.

“I’m very supportive of the effort. It’s cutting edge,” said Faulconer, who represents downtown. “I think it’s going to be very helpful.”

The Downtown Partnership needs about 150 volunteers. It has about 100 who have committed. If you’re interested, go to www.sdcleanandsafe.org or call (619) 234-8900.

To read the original article, click here.

The Duffie cousins know that if they weren’t selling fruits and vegetables in Brownsville this summer, there’s a good chance they’d be in trouble with the law.

“The precinct knows me and my cousin,” said Toby Duffie, 17, who works at a weekly greenmarket at Rockaway and Livonia Aves. with cousin Douglas Duffie, also 17. “This keeps me out of trouble.”

Last year, the Duffies — foster care youngsters who live with an aunt in the Langston Hughes Houses — were busted for a mugging.

Part of their punishment was to take part in a Police Department program that gives young offenders a chance to change their ways without going to prison.

This summer, Lt. David Glassberg of the 73rd Precinct’s Juvenile Robbery Intervention Program teamed up with officials at Brownsville Partnership, a local nonprofit organization that runs the youth greenmarket, to get the Duffies summer jobs.

The cousins are among nearly 300 Brownsville kids in the program who have had brushes with the law and are working in summer jobs at places like Starbucks and AT&T.

The Duffies will work at the Friday market through October, greeting customers, handling cash and learning how to use the Electronic Benefit Transfer machine.

“The plums be on point,” said Douglas, who goes to Teachers Preparatory High School. “I try and convince the customers to buy more — I use my charm.”

Toby said working at the market has inspired him to start his own business someday — and it beats cleaning up housing projects for the city, a job he did last summer.

“I didn’t know I was going to sell fruits,” he said. “It’s a fun experience. It teaches me how to communicate with people.”

The two have come a long way.

“When we first met them, they didn’t want anything to do with us, absolutely nothing,” Lt. Glassberg said.
“Douglas Duffie and Toby Duffie are doing very well and we’re very happy, but if they weren’t doing what they’re doing, they’d be in a lot of trouble right now.”

The new market, which opened last month, has become wildly popular in the neighborhood, where fresh produce like carrots, corn, herbs and berries can be hard to find.

Willien Griffin, 56, who lives in the nearby Tilden Houses and bought onions, green peppers and peaches for just over $2, was surprised to hear that the “very nice young gentlemen” who sold her the produce had criminal pasts.

“This is exactly what we need in the neighborhood,” she said. “These young men need to have something constructive to do.”

To read the original article, click here.

In 2007 Los Angeles County started up a new program with the goal of taking a different look and a different approach to the persistent problem of chronic homelessness in Southern California. The program was “Project 50,” which would identify the 50 most vulnerable and needy members of L.A.’s homeless population through a series of extensive surveys on the streets. The 50 have been identified, reviewed and provided with housing, services and support—but has it helped to keep them off the streets and brought stability back into their lives? The programs results have been mixed and they offer a tortured view into the complex problem of homelessness. Patt partners up with her colleagues at the L.A. Times who have spent the past two years following Project 50 with the hopes of creatively conquering homelessness.

To listen to the story, click here.

Guests:
Christopher Goffard, staff reporter for the L.A. Times & author of the Project 50 series Whatever it Takes
Becky Kanis, Director of the 100,000 Homes Campaign at Common Ground

100,000 homes for 100,000 of the most vulnerable homeless Americans by July 2013!

Probably sounds like normal political crap to most. But I can personally tell you I believe it’s going to happen and that Common Ground can do it! Well, I must correct that last sentence. Yes, Common Ground is the catalyst to effect all this change, but only through the support of local stakeholders can such a huge commission be completed.

Ok now I hear a few of you saying “ya right” so check this. The 100,00 Homes Campaign was launched this week at the National Alliance to End Homelessness Conference in Washington, DC. Even before the thing is launched over 5,000 people have been housed.

Here’s what Common Ground President Rosanne Haggerty said during the conference’s opening announcement:

And I am also proud to tell you that we are already on our way. Thanks to the tremendous work of the 34 communities that have already joined the Campaign and begun identifying and housing the most vulnerable homeless in their communities, 5,104 individuals and families have already been housed. Communities like Los Angeles, Denver, Phoenix and Washington, DC have generated and shared countless innovations and shown us what is possible when we work together toward a specific, urgent goal.

How cool is that! But wait, I have more proof they’ll make it happen. New York Times recently did a story on how Common Ground housed every homeless person in Times Square except one lone holdout. If you are like me and remember Times Square a decade ago and have been there recently you’ve noticed a world of difference.

As many of you know I love Common Ground. I’ve written before about them and I must disclose they are sponsoring this years’s road trip. Even if I was not friends with the Common Ground team I would still promote them because they truly have impact in housing people.

First, and maybe what I love most about them, is they are true team players. Many homeless services have become territorial. It’s a hard job that tears at the heart and there is rarely enough money to make things happen. People kind of build these walls and often it’s nearly impossible to get cooperation. Common Ground has discovered the secret to getting organizations to break down their fortresses. It’s nothing short of a miracle what Common Ground has accomplished by simply getting people to work together.

Bureaucracy kills! Point blank honest here: I understand the need for data and rules, but we have created so much crap it’s not a miracle when someone is housed — it’s a miracle the system worked! Common Ground sees that, and in their unique way has found ways to work around the madness to get people into housing.

They also focus on the most vulnerable — homeless people who if not helped will probably die soon. I have seen the before and after pictures of people they have helped. Truly amazing!

Seriously, if you work in homeless services, national or local governments, faith based organizations, or just care about your community connect with Common Ground’s 100,000 Homes Campaign.

In Rosanne’s own words closing out her speech:

In three years, when the Campaign comes to a close, we will have a created a new reality. We will see a network of communities working together — unselfishly, resourcefully, relentlessly — to end homelessness. We will see communities that are healthy, thriving and more stable financially. We will see 100,000 vulnerable neighbors safely at home, 100,000 lives changed, and 100,000 reasons to believe that we can come together to solve the hard problems facing our communities and nation.

To read the original article, click here.

SUMMER PLAZAS-July 10, July 17, July 24

The Pitkin Ave. BID and the Brownsville Partnership invite you to walk, bike, play, and shop along Pitkin Ave on three car free Saturdays: July 10, July 17, and July 24 between 11AM and 6PM. Summer Plazas will occur on Pitkin between Strauss and Thomas S. Boyland Streets and will include a beach party, arts and crafts, dance classes, exercise classes, music performances, and so much more! We are looking for more volunteers for this event. If you are interested, please contact Michelle Johnstone at mjohnstone@commonground.org.

BROWNSVILLE YOUTHMARKET-Fridays: July 9-October 29

GrowNYC and the Brownsville Partnership invite you to a new neighborhood Farmer’s Market on the corner of Rockaway Ave. and Livonia Ave. on Fridays from 2:00PM-6:00PM. The Youthmarket will be staffed with local young people and will include many fun health demonstrations and activities. The youthmarket accepts EBT/Food Stamps, WIC, and Senior FNMP coupons.

Learn about more events happening in Brownsville on the Brownsville Partnership blog.

Haggerty was joined on stage by partners from a wide range of national organizations including the United Way, Corporation for Supportive Housing, International Downtown Association, Institute for Healthcare Improvement and Iraq- Afghanistan Veterans for America, to announce that 34 communities had enlisted in the campaign and already housed 5,104 individuals and families through their joint efforts. Many of these communities have conducted “Registry Weeks”, during which volunteers administer public health surveys to identify the homeless with the most serious health needs. This enables the most vulnerable to be more quickly matched with homes and other needed assistance.

The Campaign will enlist additional communities, particularly those with the highest rates of homelessness, to become part of the effort and join the Campaign’s national innovation sharing network.

In conjunction with the announcement, the Campaign launched the website, www.100khomes.org which tracks progress by communities, celebrates achievements, and is a platform for rapidly sharing solutions and tools among participating communities.

National partners including the National Alliance to End Homelessness; Bank of America; Fannie Mae; the National Association of Public Hospitals; Enterprise Community Partners; Pathways to Housing; the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and Vanguard are connecting their networks and resources to assist in reaching the Campaign goal. The campaign “team” was also joined at the event by Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the President’s Interagency Council on Homelessness.

Ms. Haggerty thanked all involved in the Campaign, concluding that, “In three years, when this initiative comes to a close, we will have created a new reality. We will see a network of communities working together-unselfishly, resourcefully, relentlessly-to end homelessness. We will see communities that are healthy, thriving and more stable financially. We will see 100,000 vulnerable neighbors safely at home, 100,000 lives changes, and 100,000 reasons to believe that we can come together to solve the hard problems facing our communities and nation.”

Contact: Howard Leibowitz, 212-451-0854; 617-947-0762 (cell)

Opened by Boris Johnson, the refurbished iconic London landmark, Arlington will be a UK flagship scheme for a new era in community living.

The vision for the new Arlington was developed through a partnership between One Housing Group, Camden Council and the government. The team at One Housing consulted with and took inspiration for the development from projects around the world, including Common Ground’s Times Square residence, to provide a world class facility.

Watch the slideshow below to see pictures from Common Ground’s London visit.