The Community Action Commission of Fayette County recently celebrated its 55th anniversary, and this month is recognizing “Community Action Month.”
CAC, located at 1400 U.S. Route 22 N.W. in Washington Court House, provides numerous programs to assist families, children and individuals.
As previously reported and according to the CAC website, www.cacfayettecounty.org, “the mission of the Community Action Commission of Fayette County is to combat causes of poverty, expand community services, and implement projects necessary to provide services and further community improvements. Its mission is also to consider the problems concerning youth, adults and senior citizens and deal with the prevention and solving of those problems.
“The development and management of affordable housing for special populations like individuals in recovery from substance abuse or mental illness, victims of domestic violence, the homeless and/or disabled, and low to moderate income individuals, families, and seniors is a specific purpose of the agency, as is the development of income-generating projects consistent with the purposes of the corporation which will increase funds available for services and reduce the agency’s dependence on public funds.”
According to current CAC Executive Director Bambi Baughn, the local Community Action was incorporated on May 25, 1965 but began operations as a 501(C) in 1967.
Various officials from the different departments at Community Action sent information on their programs to the Record-Herald recently:
Self-Help Housing Program
Community Action Commission of Fayette County has a 55-year history of providing assistance to those in the community who need a hand. One of these programs, Community Action’s Mutual Self-Help Housing Program, has helped over 300 families in Fayette County and the surrounding area achieve their dream of owning their own homes.
Started in Fayette County in 1993, the USDA RD Mutual Self-Help Housing Program works with local families, seniors and singles to obtain a mortgage from the USDA Rural Development to build a newly-constructed home with no money down, a very low interest rate and an extended term versus conventional lending. The new homeowners work together as a group, assisting each other in building their dream homes with the assistance of their team of professional construction supervisors.
By working together and investing their own “sweat equity” into their homes, the costs of the homes are thousands less than having a home built by a contractor. The program is income based at 80% or less of the Area Median Income to qualify. There is no fee for their services. They work with you on credit counseling, budgeting, and skills for maintaining your new home.
With the scarcity of affordable housing in the area, many times you can own your own home for no more than and sometimes less than you are paying for rent. Steve Creed, housing director for Community Action, explains that there are other benefits to owning a home.
There is a sense of pride in what the client has accomplished in putting their own sweat and labor into building a home for their family. Societal benefits of owning your home are a sense of stability with the knowledge that the home is yours, not belonging to another person. Studies have shown that this sense of stability also affects children. A feeling of security, doing better in school — these are just a couple of the things that the stability of having a home of your own can bring to a family.
With the Self Help program it also increases the financial assets of the owner and the family, a feeling of financial security. The addition of affordable housing also is a benefit to the community. A new home built in an existing neighborhood can incentivize others in the neighborhood to improve their properties.
The additional taxes that it brings to the community add to the budget, increasing monies for improvements, fire services, police services and other benefits. If you have a dream to own a beautiful, affordable home, give Self Help a call at 740-335-1831 or email the housing director, Steve Creed, at [email protected].
Homeless Housing Department
Our department offers both the Rapid ReHousing (RRH) and Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) programs to assist households who are experiencing homelessness.
The goal of RRH is to promote housing stability by rapidly housing those who are in a homeless shelter or staying in a place not meant for human habitation.
Chelsea Davis, HCRP Case Manager for Rapid Rehousing, explained, “Our Rapid Rehousing program (RRH) offers short-term rental and utility assistance to our clients along with intensive case management services to households that currently experiencing a current homeless episode.”
The goal of PSH is to provide permanent housing stability for those who have experienced chronic homelessness and also have a disabling condition.
Mileah Wilson, PSH Case Manager, explained, “our program offers housing assistance for people who are chronically homeless and have a long-term disabling condition that affects their ability function daily. We have 2 sites that are for single occupancy, The Fayette Landing and Fayette Inn. We also work closely with private Landlords.”
Emergency Rental Assistance Program
The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 provides for necessary expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. The Ohio Development Services Agency and Office of Community Assistance (OCA) allocated funds to Ohio’s 47 Community Action Agency’s (CAA’s) to assist low-income households with rent, rental arrears, utility/home energy costs, and utility/home energy cost arrears.
This program will run until Sept. 30 or as federal legislation dictates.
The household income must be under 80% Annual Median Income. For clients to be eligible, they need to have gone though a financial hardship due directly or indirectly to COVID-19. Eligible expenses include Rental assistance and Utility/Home Energy Costs.
To check to see if you are eligible, please pick up an application at the front desk at CAC. There is a checklist of required documents, including a form for the landlord to fill out.
For any questions about the COVID emergency funds, please reach out to Chelsea Davis at 740-335-7282 ext. 132.
Follow the Record-Herald for more Community Action program information.
