Walking through the apartment that will soon become her home, Michelle McNinch took took time to notice every detail. She peered into the refrigerator, opened kitchen cabinets and inspected the laundry room.
Asked what she likes best about the new place, McNinch didn't mention any of those things.
“It's going to be mine,” she said.
Four months ago, McNinch showed up at Pilgrims' Inn with a list of troubles familiar to the Rock Hill shelter and day care center: lost jobs, family troubles and a growing fear of ending up on the street.
The fear has turned into excitement as McNinch prepares to become the first person to take part in a program that could change the way Rock Hill confronts homelessness.
“I'm the guinea pig, that's what she calls me,” said a smiling McNinch, 28, pointing toward Nicole Cauthen, her case manager at Pilgrims' Inn.
A new report urges Pilgrims' Inn and other local agencies to modernize how they serve people at risk of becoming homeless, from opening a 24-hour “point of entry” center to deploying medical teams that would help speed the recovery process.
One big thing the report doesn't call for: a shelter.
Cities across the nation are turning away from shelters as the solution for getting homeless people off the streets. Instead, a growing number of communities are putting people into apartments and then providing them with counseling, treatment and other services.
The approach, dubbed rapid re-housing, is about to make its debut under the guidance of Pilgrims' Inn.
The shelter complex on West Main Street recently was awarded $525,000 in federal stimulus money to put up homeless people in existing apartment complexes. Director Susan Dean estimates she can serve as many as 350 families. The money will be divided over a three-year period.
Supporters hope to put into action a new model for solving homelessness across York County.
“There's very little responsibility put on the individual when they come (to a shelter),” said Paul Cornely, director of Catawba Mental Health.
“To get people into an apartment, you say to them, it's your responsibility. There's a lot more pride involved.”
Report: Get more efficient
Rock Hill City Council members voiced support for the new ideas, which emerged Thursday in a study called “Pathways to Housing: York County's Response to Homelessness.”
Greensboro, N.C., consultant Nancy Parks Hunter compiled the report after months of interviews with social workers, volunteers and others involved in helping homeless people in Rock Hill and York County.
The city commissioned the report in January, using $14,345 from a federal grant.
“We're not coming back to you and saying you need to put a whole bunch of city money into a big shelter,” Hunter told council members. The idea is to help agencies “do what they're already doing, but in a moreefficient way.”
The report generated some questions. Mayor Doug Echols asked how organizers would keep track of participants and make sure they get the needed services.
Each participant would be “heavily case-managed,” said Hunter, with regular visits from doctors, mental health specialists and case workers.
Working toward a career
Inside her new apartment at Main and Wilson streets just outside downtown, McNinch talked about the classes she is taking at a local cosmetology school. The Chester native plans to graduate in February and then work full-time at a salon.
Cauthen, her case manager, has pushed her to stay focused on her goals while she gets help.
“This is their opportunity to not have to be so concerned with working the minimum wage job,” Cauthen said. “We would rather support them while they work toward a career.”
The plan does not call for new local dollars. Money set aside in a federal grant would be used to hire a coordinator to oversee programs and make sure nonprofits work together.
A men's shelter called The Haven and an emergency winter shelter at the Salvation Army will continue to operate. Each opened in the past five years and has helped focus attention on Rock Hill's homeless problems.
Advocates plan to pursue new sources of federal money to bolster new programs. Having a 10-year plan, they have long argued, is the key to getting federal attention.
Councilwoman Kathy Pender wondered what the goal should be over the next five years.
Reduce the number of people found in shelters and on the streets, Hunter responded. A “point in time” count in January turned up 236 people. Another count will be taken in two years.
“You may not be able to reduce those at risk,” Hunter said. “But if you can reduce those on the streets, that, to me, would be success.”
The recommendations
Here are key points in a 10-year plan to guide Rock Hill's response to homelessness.
Open a 24 / 7 “point of entry” center
This could involve a new building or space at an existing agency. But it's not a shelter. Homeless people would come here, be interviewed by a staffer and begin receiving help. Police could drop off homeless people here.
Appoint a single person to coordinate
One person would coordinate the various programs and make sure agencies are working together. The city and United Way would split the $31,000 cost of the position using federal money.
Work with landlords to find rental apartments
Rather than shelters, homeless people would be put up in apartments. Monthly rent would be covered for a temporary period. A survey showed more than 200 available apartments.
Put in place a “no wrong door” system
No matter where homeless people show up, whether it's the police department, VA or hospital, they would be put into the same network of services.
Matt Garfield 803-329-4063
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