Broward County Community Development Corporation Inc

Programs: Affordable housing program: 1. Rental housing program: currently owns and maintains 19 apartment complexes throughout broward county. Rental unit locations are within coral springs, fort lauderdale, hollywood, north lauderdale, oakland park, and pompano beach. Administering rental subsidy funds from federal, state, local and various funding streams housing 359 mental health consumers. 2. Emergency rental subsidy: clients are referred to broward housing solutions for emergency, temporary and long-term rental assistance. Since inception, broward housing solutions has processed more than $19,000,000 emergency rental subsidies since 1993. 3. Housing solutions young adults: provides affordable and permanent housing for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system, and, who battle emotional and behavioral disturbances. Life coaches and case managers provide transitional services and individualized care plans to ensure that the emancipated foster youth have a safe home with the opportunity to develop and practice life skills to navigate the transition to adulthood while achieving long-term self-sufficiency. 4. Homeownership program: a total of thirty-six mental health consumers have successfully become homeowners or are in the leasing stages of homeownership through the lease-to-buy (ltb) program by leasing a single family home. These clients have demonstrated financial capacity and independent living skills through financial fitness education and community support. 5. 'home for the brave': serving broward county's homeless veterans with mental illness. Quantifiable successes: by providing safe, affordable housing with supportive case management, the following outcomes were documented: 89% of tenants we surveyed were formerly homeless before moving into our units. 97% of tenants experienced fewer hospitalizations since moving in to our units. 97% have shown progress in managing their medication. 98% have exhibited increased stability. 96%have had improvements in their health. 100% of the children of these tenants are now residing in a more stable environment. 36 mental health consumers have successfully become homeowners or are in the leasing stages of homeownership through this program. Cost ratio benefit of providing affordable housing incarceration: broward housing solutions saved broward county taxpayers an estimated $8. 6 million last year simply by providing permanent and affordable housing. Incarceration costs $126/day/inmate and 17% of inmates in jail prisons have a serious mental illness. Jails have become asylums for thousands of inmates with mental illnesses whose problems and needs far exceed what jails can provide. Mentally ill inmates costs taxpayers 39% more than inmates without mental illness. Average length of incarceration stay per mentally ill inmate 51 days @ $126/day/inmate = $7,216/year. Broward housing solutions saved broward county taxpayers almost $8. 6 million simply by providing permanent and affordable housing. Hospitalizations: broward housing solutions saved broward county taxpayers nearly $4. 8 million/year vs. Hospitalization due to mental health decompansation @ $1979/day.