| Name | Donna |
|---|---|
| Last Name | Maddox |
| Home Address | 319 Park Road Lookout Mountain, Tennessee 37350 United States |
| Organization Name | AIM Center, Inc. |
| Describe Your Role In The Organization | Director of Special Projects. Donna previously held the office of President and CEO of the AIM Center for 2.5 years after stepping off the Board of Directors at their request to accept the leadership role on an agreed upon interim basis. Anna Protano-Biggs began her role as the President and CEO on 11-16-2021. At that time at the request of the Board and Ms. Protano-Biggs, Donna agreed to stay at AIM to assist in the CEO transition, manage AIM's reaccreditation process and spearhead Espero Chattanooga. |
| Organization Address | 472 W Martin Luther King Blvd. Chattanooga, TN 37402 United States |
| Website | https://www.aimcenterinc.org |
| Best Phone Number To Reach You | (423) 762-1835 |
| Alternate Phone Number | (423) 624-4800 |
| Email Address | donnamaddox@aimcenterinc.org |
| Alternate Email Address | dmaddox52@gmail.com |
| Please Describe Your Project In Detail | In January 2020 AIM Center, Inc. joined into an agreement with the Vecino Group to construct and manage a sixty (60) unit supported housing complex located in a block of land to be donated to AIM Center by the City of Chattanooga. The purpose of this project is to provide permanent supportive housing to some of our City’s most vulnerable citizens thus improving the lives of its future residents and reducing the cost of care to the City and other community systems of care which are currently being accessed daily to maintain the lives of these individuals. The future housing complex is named Espero Chattanooga. Translated from Spanish, Espero means I Hope. What greater gift can a person or family be given than the opportunity to have hope in their life? A hope to better one’s life, one’s health, one’s future? We know that Espero Chattanooga will provide hope while transforming lives. AIM Center began a partnership with Vecino Group after Susan Greene, Regional Housing Facilitator, recommended the project to the AIM Board of Directors. Susan’s work with the FUSE program beginning in 2017 had highlighted the need for integrated supported housing and had opened an opportunity to work with the City of Chattanooga to transform a blighted block by developing affordable supportive housing. Susan became aware of Vecino while attending a Corporation for Supported Housing (CSH) annual conference. Many of Vecino Group’s supportive housing projects were highlighted at this conference by the non-profit organizations with which Vecino had partnered. Later AIM Center conducted its due diligence by outreaching to three different national projects in which Vecino had worked with non-profit organizations in the same manner it was proposed the AIM-Vecino partnership could be structured. All gave excellent feedback and said they would absolutely do business with Vecino on projects again. The AIM Board of Directors then voted to move forward under a Memorandum of Understanding. Vecino Group is a national supportive housing developer located in Springfield, Missouri. They have developed 2,004 affordable and 636 Permanent Supportive Housing units in the last 10 years. Vecino Group has strong relationships with many syndicators and leading institutions active in the Tennessee market. Espero Chattanooga will be the first supportive housing community that Vecino will develop in Tennessee. With the expertise of AIM Center, Espero Chattanooga will provide supportive housing based on best practices to persons that are in the most need in Chattanooga. The AIM Center has been a Chattanooga provider of supportive housing services for 24 years. AIM presently owns and manages 73 units of housing leased to persons with a mental health diagnosis. These units are located at 10 different sites. All of the units are integrated into the community. All units are affordable with some form of federal rental assistance, and are specifically designated for very low-income persons who have a mental health diagnosis. This allows staff to work with people who may not have income at the time of leasing. Support services are offered to every tenant. Housing staff are available for on-going support services with an on-call system that operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days per year. All units are leased directly to tenants following the Housing First Model. The AIM Center Board of Directors oversees eight (8) of the properties. The AIM Center Housing Board oversees the remaining three (3) Housing Urban Development (HUD) properties. AIM’s housing staff consists of a Housing coordinator, two (2) Housing Specialists (one is a Certified Peer Support Specialist), and a maintenance supervisor. Additionally, AIM has two Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services grants which fund two regional positions, the Consumer Housing Specialist (a peer specialist position) and the Regional Housing Facilitator. AIM’s development and expansion of supportive housing services has come from HUD 811 grants, capital campaign funds, Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA) Housing Grant funds, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati Affordable Housing Program, Federal Green Retro-fit, City of Chattanooga HOME and Recovery Act funds, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), and Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga. AIM Center was asked to consider taking on the development of new affordable housing by the Housing Sub Committee of the FUSE Initiative. While the Hamilton County Sheriff’s office launched the local FUSE initiative in 2017, the housing group was chaired by a City staff member. FUSE is the Corporation for Supportive Housing’s signature program to help communities break the cycle of homelessness and crisis among individuals with complex medical and behavior health challenges – individuals who are the highest users of emergency rooms, jails, shelters, health clinics, crisis services, food pantries, and other community services. FUSE programs now operate in more than 30 communities nationwide. In 2015 the incarceration rate in Hamilton County jails was 76% higher than the national average. Further, up to 40% of the inmate population was estimated to have a mental illness. People incarcerated with mental illness are at particularly high risk for recidivism and housing instability, placing a greater burden on inpatient care, crisis services, law enforcement, the criminal justice system and homeless services. From the beginning, the FUSE Initiative has been a collaborative partnership among local organizations with a vested interest in reducing costly and avoidable overuse of their services, including two area hospitals, two managed care organizations, homeless healthcare and both County and City governments. Project partners set out to integrate criminal justice, homeless service and healthcare utilization data to better understand the needs of the frequent user population and the costs associated with their involvement in multiple public systems. Analysis showed that approximately 250 highest utilizers, based on number of arrests and days of incarceration, incurred $2.7 million in jail costs and $9 million in health care charges from 2016-2018. Homeless Healthcare Center data showed that 43% of the 3,955 unique individuals who visited the clinic in 2017 were diagnosed with severe and persistent mental illness (SPMI). This finding is consistent with the evidence that people with SPMI are especially prone to housing instability. The FUSE project has highlighted the need for much more supportive permanent housing. To quantify the need for supportive housing, the FUSE team conducted a needs assessment based on surveys and interviews with area service providers and the CSH Data Tool. They identified a gap of approximately 245 units of supportive housing and noted that Chattanooga’s current permanent supported housing services had an extremely high - too high - a ration of clients to care coordination staff of 65:1. In addition to operating and managing a supported housing program, AIM Center also operates as a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program facility serving adults who have chronic mental illness who seek to find purpose in their lives. After meeting basic criteria, adults are welcomed as “members” of the AIM Center which offers supported education, supported employment, housing, wellness, and socialization opportunities based upon a member-centered strengths-based model of recovery services which are delivered in a Clubhouse model. AIM is licensed by TDMHSAS and is accredited by Clubhouse International. The model is unique in that it offers members and staff the opportunity to work side-by-side within the Clubhouse on pre-vocational tasks which give meaning to those who may never enter the workforce and encouragement and belief to those that can. Given that at any moment in time AIM Center has members who are homeless or housing insecure making them at-risk for homelessness, saying YES to the ask to help develop and manage more affordable supported housing in our City was an easy answer. Espero Chattanooga embodies AIM Center’s vision which “strives to create a community where people with mental illness are completely integrated, accepted, and valued”. Espero Chattanooga will provide 60 units of supportive housing to the Chattanooga community. Of the 60 units, 15 units (25%) will be set aside for person who are recipients of the FUSE program and/or persons who are chronically homeless and have a mental health diagnosis. AIM Center will provide on-site services and property management. The Chattanooga Public Housing Authority (CHA) has committed 60 project-based housing vouchers to Espero Chattanooga. The FUSE Team is in the process of securing a provider to deliver Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team services to their 15 residents who live in the complex. ACT is an evidence-based model designed to provide treatment, rehabilitation and support services to individuals who are diagnosed with a severe mental illness and whose needs have not been met by more traditional mental health services. Priority is given to people with schizophrenia, other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, and co-occurring disorders including substance use disorders. Given the ACT model, the training of ACT providers and the intensity of their service delivery, we believe that it will be possible to reduce the high costs of maintaining these individuals in our community by having them housed and having them in appropriate treatment. Espero Chattanooga will be located on East Main Street, a main artery to downtown Chattanooga, in an area currently under redevelopment. The complex sits on the bus line, close to coffee shops, grocery shopping and employment opportunities. Espero will be part of the coordinated entry system in Chattanooga. Coordinated entry allows homeless services agencies to prioritize those in greatest need of housing. Once a resident is identified for the coordinated entry list, the resident will be given a choice of housing. Although it is anticipated that Espero Chattanooga will be the first choice, as it will be new construction, it is anticipated that Espero will lease up within 30 days. Espero Chattanooga is a Housing First model. Housing First is recognized as a best practice by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, believing that providing housing without regulations is the best way to end homelessness. Espero will provide permanent housing with on-site services, provided to each resident at their request. Supportive services offered to all residents will be based upon their individualized needs in the following areas: financial, medical, occupational, and/or physical therapy, symptom management, socialization, daily living skills, medication management and interpersonal skills. Each resident’s service plan will outline the goals that need to be achieved and support services that will be needed to accomplish their goals in identified areas. The plan also will detail the frequency of the support services and state the responsible party. Reviews and updates of the plan will regularly occur at six-month intervals, or more frequently as needed. Residents of Espero Chattanooga will have an annual lease. Each resident will have their own apartment with a lock. Congregate meals will not be provided at Espero, as each unit will have a full kitchen. If a resident needs food, the support services staff will ensure they have access to the food pantry. Espero will have a 24/7 front desk, to provide security to residents, but Espero Chattanooga will not deny access to visitors. Espero will be fully physically accessible. Of the 60 Espero units, 52 are one-bedroom apartments, eight (8) are two-bedroom apartments. Fair market rent on the units is currently estimated at $694 for the one-bedrooms, and $847 for the two-bedroom units. CHA’s commitment of the 60 project-based vouchers to Espero offers the no-income or low-income earning individuals or families a pathway to housing. Residents will pay 30% of their income to live in a modern beautiful apartment and have the opportunity to thrive. All residents must be at 60% area median income or below. Per HUD and Tennessee Housing Development Agency rules, registered sex offenders and persons convicted of methamphetamine possession or manufacturing are ineligible to live in the Espero Chattanooga property. The first floor of the three-story Espero building will house a Fitness Center for use by all residents. The Community Room on that floor will be available to community organizations who may wish to meet there. In addition to the 75 on-site resident parking slots, the grounds will feature a pocket park with a picnic area all community residents will be able to enjoy. We are hopeful that the expertise of our community residents will be shared with the Espero tenants in the on-site community garden. By bringing the community together, we believe we can whittle away at the stigma which affects vulnerable populations. |
| Please explain how your project meets the requirements of the American Rescue Plan | Prior to the COVID-10 pandemic, more decent affordable housing was needed in our City. Data from every study conducted by the City, the County, the Homeless Coalition, the Interagency Council on Homelessness, Homeless Health Care Center, FUSE and other agencies hold this to be true. Fast forward: the American Rescue Plan sets out a path for “Building Stronger Communities through Investments in Housing and Neighborhoods”. Espero Chattanooga will bring affordable quality homes to persons who have limited economic opportunity and housing insecurity. Immediate economic impact from the impact of COVID-19 will be alleviated for 60 individuals and/or households as residents lease a modern, high-quality apartment using a Chattanooga Housing Authority project based voucher. Paying a maximum of 30% of their income toward rent, individuals will have more disposable income for other basic necessities. The overwhelming burden brought on by the pandemic to public health will be alleviated from the need to treat Espero tenants during their most emergent or urgent health crises. Using the coordinated entry system, the City’s most vulnerable homeless citizens will be offered stable, affordable housing first with wrap-around support services which are essential to vulnerable persons staying housed. With the construction of Espero, Chattanooga will increase its supply of affordable and high-quality living units among unhoused individuals which is a primary goal of the Department of the Treasury 31 CFR Part 35, Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds rules as published in the Federal Register guidelines. |
| Where would your project take place? | 1815 East Main Street, Chattanooga TN 37404 |
| How much will your project cost in total? | 9999999 |
| Do you have any matching funding sources from other local governments, private entities, non-profits, or philanthropic entities for your project? | Yes |
| Please describe the source and list amounts of any other funding. | Amount Funding Source Application Status $ 500,000 THDA-National Housing Trust Fund Funds awarded $ 1,000,000 Federal HL Bank of Cincinnati AHP Funds awarded to AIM $ 600,000 THDA-TN Housing Trust Fund grant Application pending $ 200,000 TDMHSAS Creative Housing Initiative 3 Application pending (grant also includes $169,00 recurring dollars for support services) $ 3,100,000 City of Chattanooga ARP funds Application to be submitted by 2/4/22 $ 6,540,000 THDA Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) funds Round 1submission 2/18-3/4/2022; and/or Round 2 submission 7/6-7/20/22 $ 3,420,000 Mortgage Proceeds (project debt) $ 600,000 Gap due to higher costs $ 15,960,000 TOTAL DEVELOPMENT COSTS Due to the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have on supply and labor costs, the overall cost of the project has increased significantly since its inception. We have and will pursue all funding for which Espero qualifies. |
| What portion of the project are you asking the city to fund? | $3,100,000.00 |
| If funded, when would your project start? | November 28, 2022 |
| How long would your project take to complete? | 16 months. Construction start 11-2022; Construction Complete 02-2024 |
| What milestones would you use to measure your project’s progress? | Espero Chattanooga will capture data and track outcomes from the inception of the program to include: • The percentage of Supported Housing Program (SHP) tenants who have remained in housing for 6 months. • The percentage of SHP tenants who have increased their income since move-in. • The percentage of SHP tenants who have gained employment since move-in. FUSE will collect outcome data over a five (5) year period for the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) ACT Grant and the Department of Justice (DOJ) Pay-for-Success program that will demonstrate the impact on area hospital, re-convictions in the justice system, and homelessness. |
| How would you ensure accountability and transparency throughout the project lifecycle? | Every funding source from which finances are obtained to develop Espero Chattanooga will require monitoring and an annual audit. Vecino Group, as the minority General Partner, will collect monthly reports on the above mentioned outcomes. Vecino Group supportive housing department will provide annual compliance visits to ensure all services are taking place, in collaboration with housing first outcomes. Additionally AIM Center, as the majority General Partner, will hold its employees who work at the Espero Chattanooga complex accountable for their employment performance. Tenants will be asked to provide feedback on staff performance on an annual basis. A Suggestion/Comment Box will be available for all tenants to offer suggestions/comments/ concerns, anonymously if desired. These comments with responses will be posted on a monthly basis to ensure communication is open and transparent. |
| If successful, how would your project benefit the community? | The benefits to our community will be vast, measurable and match the purpose of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds as outlined in Federal Register guidelines. The physical, mental and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be mitigated for Espero Chattanooga tenants. Moving from unhoused-to-housed will immediately provide relief to the residents. This in turn will benefit the community as transformation of these lives begins. The 15 residents who are part of FUSE will experience a level of support they have never had in their lives before. Through the use of support services, all tenants will have the opportunity to obtain benefits for which they qualify. AIM Center will be on-site full-time providing individualized support services to all the residents of Espero Chattanooga, as desired, regardless of disability status. These services will include accessing available community resources, life skills, budgeting classes and exercise classes. Brochures of these services are available upon request. By providing permanent housing to the most vulnerable in our community, we will not only be doing the right thing for the people housed, but we are being fiscally responsible. It costs approximately $153/day to keep someone homeless and it costs approximately $43/day to provide housing. Espero Chattanooga will provide a savings of approximately $1,650 per day and $602,250.00 annually to the Chattanooga community by providing permanent housing. We anticipate that the quality of life for Espero Chattanooga tenants will improve drastically upon first being housed. Over time we also anticipate that quality of life will continue to improve as community integration occurs. Neighbors will benefit from the project by having use of the Community Room for meetings. The sidewalks will be upgraded and new. The community park will provide green space. The block will be enhanced with landscaping, the blighted building will be removed and a bus shelter will be added for all community members providing shelter during bad weather. |
| How will you attract community buy-in for your project? | Working with Councilmember Anthony Byrd in whose district the Espero project will sit, AIM and Vecino held community forums with both Ferger Place residents and the Highland Park Neighborhood Association (HPNA), Councilmember Coonrod’ s district. While there were concerns expressed about the project, there was also recognition of how significant it would be just to have the old buildings removed which over time continue to detract from the positive changes being made on Main Street. Overall, neighbors spoke positively of having an integrated affordable housing complex in their area as evidenced by HPNA’s letter of support submitted in the first funding sought for the grant from THDA. Appealing aspects of the project also include the use by area residents of the community room and the on-site pocket park. Partnering with CARTA, we believe a weather resistant place to wait on the bus will be appreciated by everyone in the area. Area citizens will learn that AIM Center support staff will not just be available to Espero residents. AIM will work with those in the neighborhood who need linkage to community resources. A common concern of everyone involved in this project is where the Forgotten Child Fund (FCF) will be relocated after vacating the E. Main Street property. Everyone supports the outstanding work they do every holiday season to ensure vulnerable children have Christmas and know they are remembered. As a non-profit, AIM Center stands ready to assist their fellow non-profit should there be a need(s) in which AIM can help. |
| Name | Trae Cotton, Ph.D. Chair, AIM Center Board of Directors |
| Contact Information | cottontt@icloud.com; (336) 407-5906 |
| Name | Ruth Toon, Chair, Chair, AIM Housing Board of Directors |
| Contact Information | ruthtoon9@gmail.com; (423) 355-4600 |
| Name | Anna Protano-Biggs, President & CEO, AIM Center, Inc. |
| Contact Information | annaprotanobiggs@aimcenterinc.org (423) 702-8002 |
| Name | Rick Manzardo, President, Vecino Group |
| Contact Information | Rick@vecinogroup.com (417) 720-1577 |
| Name | Susan Greene, Regional Housing Facilitator, Creating Homes Initiative (CHI) |
| Contact Information | susangreene@aimcenterinc.org; (423) 648-1003 |
| Name | Betsy McCright, Executive Director, Chattanooga Housing Authority |
| Contact Information | bmccright@chahousing.org; (423) 752-4188 |
| Name | Janna Jahn, FUSE Project Manger, Hamilton County Sherriff's Office |
| Contact Information | jjahn@hcsheriff.gov; (423) 314-1378 |
| Name | Ralph Perrey, Executive Director, Tennessee Housing Development Agency |
| Contact Information | RPerrey@thda.org; (615) 815-2015 |
| Name | Laura Overton, Project Analyst, Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati |
| Contact Information | to be supplied |
| Name | Carla K. Jarrell, Community Development Officer, Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. |
| Contact Information | Carla.jarrell@pnfp.com; (615) 744-3714 |
| Name | Neru Gobin, Director Housing & Homeless Services, TDMHSAS |
| Contact Information | neru.gobin@tn.gov; (615) 741-9259 |
| Name | Thomas E. Smith, Special Counsel to AIM Center |
| Contact Information | tom@cawpllc.com; (423) 265-8804 |
| Is there anything else you would like us to know about your project? | We believe the creation of 60 high quality housing units will transform the area, not just the block of land on which it will sit, making area residents even more proud of their neighborhood. We believe home values in the area will increase. We believe NIMBY grumblings will quieten quickly after the project is leased up. We know AIM will be a good partner to the neighborhood. We also know we would not be at this point today if it were not for the two years of support from leaders of the City of Chattanooga and City Council Members who believe that housing is a right which should be afforded to all within our City. We are deeply appreciative of the work that many City of Chattanooga employees from various departments have contributed to the Espero efforts. |