Urban Housing Solutions

General Information Contact Information Nonprofit

Urban Housing Solutions

Address

822 Woodland Street Nashville, TN 37206

Phone

(615) 726-2696 115

Fax

615 726-2659

Web Site

Web Site

Facebook

Facebook

Twitter

Twitter

Email

[email protected]

At A Glance Year of Incorporation

1991

Former Names

CCS Housing Systems, Inc.

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Mission & Impact Statements Mission Urban Housing Solutions' mission is to provide affordable rental housing and supportive services to low- to moderate-income individuals and families in Davidson County. We fulfill unmet housing needs in Nashville with innovative solutions that help revitalize and advance communities. Background Urban Housing Solutions, Inc. was founded in 1991 to address Nashville's lack of affordable housing for homeless people. An offshoot of the Council of Community Services, the organization had no significant experience operating or managing affordable housing, much less finding the $1,700,000 needed to buy and renovate its first property, an old motel on Murfreesboro Road called Mercury Courts. With the help of nine local banks and a dedicated councilman, Urban Housing Solutions purchased Mercury Courts and began its rehabilitation. One year later, it opened its doors as Tennessee's largest SRO (Single Resident Occupancy). SROs are efficiency-style apartments designed especially for the homeless and those with very low incomes. UHS later purchased other properties for different target audiences--people with HIV/AIDS, the mentally ill, and people in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Today, UHS owns and operates 30 properties located all over Metro Nashville and Madison. Many properties have a resident monitor who lives on site, but all property management, program administration, and leasing activities occur at the organization's headquarters on Woodland Street. Several things set us apart from for-profit apartment complexes and public housing. First is the organization's focus on maintaining a safe and drug-free environment. Each person who applies for housing at UHS must pass two drug screens. Once accepted for housing, residents must follow a series of written rules. We're able to provide below-market rents through a combination of grants and subsidy programs. UHS also offers a variety of programs and services not typical of other permanent affordable housing providers. It maintains a resident shuttle service, which carries people to work, doctors' offices, grocery stores, and social service appointments. On-site service coordinators are available at some of our properties to help residents address mental and physical health issues, obtain basic needs, and navigate government benefit programs. Three of UHS' properties have been set aside for Journeys of Hope, a comprehensive addiction recovery program.

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Impact Some of our most significant accomplishments from the past year were: 1. Completed acquisition and renovation of 81 affordable housing units in Chestnut Hill including a development (12 Garden Street) that will offer housing to individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. (2015 State recipient for "Best in Innovation" project by Tennessee Housing Development Agency) 2. Implemented organizational development practices including reorganization of accounting, leasing, maintenance, property management, and IT functions which has resulted in a significant increase in efficiency which is demonstrated by our 95% occupancy rate. 3. Partnered with the Homeless Commission to consolidate and streamline housing placement for homeless individuals and families. We have provided housing for over 300 formerly homeless individuals through this process. th 4. Acquired a distressed and problematic property at 26 Ave North and Clarksville Highway to begin a neighborhood revitalization process. Construct of 23-units that compose Phase 1 are expected to be completed in Fall 2016. 5. In partnership with the Vanderbilt-Meharry Alliance, UHS expanded health programming to more properties, reaching more residents. The program culminated with a health fair at our Mercury Courts location. During the next year, we plan to: 1. Complete our strategic planning process and identify organizational direction and new development opportunities. 2. Increase our digital presence through social media. 3. Increase our Client Fund Program to offer more emergency financial assistance to residents experiencing financial crisis. 4. Expand the Journeys of Hope program to offer more housing and support to people in recovery from drug and/or alcohol abuse. 5. Assess and implement property improvements to the existing UHS sites. Needs 1.Funding for our resident transportation service, which takes people to work, medical and social service appointments, and grocery stores. Annual cost $45,000. 2.Funding for our Client Fund Program to help people with food, starter household items, medical and dental costs, utilities, bus passes, etc. 3.Household items--bed and bath linens, nonperishable food, dinnerware, basic cleaning supplies, toiletries, and cookware for our formerly homeless residents.

4.Funding for Health Matters, which utilizes a full-time health advocate to connect our residents to medical homes, help them sign up for prescription assistance programs and indigent care, and provide health education in partnership with Trevecca Nazarene University's physician assistant program. Cost $66,000

5.Funding to pay down our mortgages, which exceed $7 million. Other ways to donate, support, or volunteer We welcome: • donations by check • donations by credit or debit card on our Web site

• in-kind donations of new household items (dishes, cookware, bed linens, pillows, and cleaning products) • in-kind donations of new, unopened toiletries (shampoo, soap, razors, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and similar items)

• in-kind donations of new, canned goods (peanut butter, soup, tomatoes, vegetables, tuna, salmon, and fruit) We're sorry, but we're unable to pick up in-kind donations or to accept furniture or used household items.

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Service Categories Primary Organization Category Housing, Shelter / Housing Development, Construction & Management Secondary Organization Category Human Services / Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations Tertiary Organization Category Mental Health & Crisis Intervention / Substance Abuse Dependency, Prevention & Treatment

Areas of Service Areas Served TN - Davidson Urban Housing Solutions serves Metro Nashville--primarily East Nashville (zip code 37206) and South Nashville (zip codes 37210 and 37217). We also have a location near Tennessee State University, one in the Maplewood area (37207), one in Inglewood (37216), and one in Madison (37115).

CEO Statement The need for affordable housing doesn’t lend itself well to teary-eyed testimonials or shocking images….unless…you’ve had to tell a single mother that her $7/hour job won’t be enough to provide a decent home for her children… or you’ve known someone who finally stopped using drugs in rehab, only to relapse because they could only afford to go back to the neighborhood that they came from. We founded Urban Housing Solutions in 1991 because Nashville had no good answer for these problems. Over time, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t. People in recovery need to live together—away from the temptation that got them started in the first place. Many people with mental illness can live independently—if they have the right combination of medication and support. And most importantly, homeless doesn’t mean hopeless. Our housing has different levels that give people a chance to climb their way up at their own pace until—eventually—they can re-enter the mainstream as productive people. And once people are housed, they can begin to stabilize their lives and address the issues that caused them to be homeless. We have a great team of people to help them—service coordinators, a health advocate, a substance abuse specialist, property management staff, and a resident shuttle driver. At the core of what we do is vigilance and responsibility…we are vigilant in monitoring the behavior of our residents because we know that reckless, threatening behavior affects everyone who lives around it. And we force our residents to take responsibility for what they do by receiving consequences for their actions. This structure forms the backbone of our program…and makes our properties safe and secure…a place where someone can heal and become part of a community. At Urban Housing Solutions, we provide more than a cheap place to live…we provide opportunities to change and grow.

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Programs Programs Affordable Housing Description

Nearly 25% of Nashville households pay 50% or more of their income toward housing costs. We help to reduce the housing burden by offering over 940 apartments targeted to individuals and families with low-tomoderate incomes. Most of the people living at Urban Housing Solutions earn less than 50% of HUD's area median income; for a single person, that's just $23,200/year. As many as one-third of our residents were homeless before they came to us. Some are mentally ill, HIV positive, physically disabled, and chronically ill. In 2009, we provided affordable housing to over 1,200 men, women, and children. We don't place time limits on how long someone may live at our properties. While most use us as a stepping stone, others choose to stay. Although most of our 30 locations are indistinguishable from for-profit apartment complexes, some have services designed to meet our residents' needs--free transportation, service coordination, computer labs, health fairs, and food distribution.

Budget

4006524

Category

Housing, General/Other Affordable Housing

Population Served

Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent, Homeless, At-Risk Populations

Program Success Monitored By

Although most of our income is derived from rental revenue, we rely on government grants to help us purchase and renovate many of our properties. The vast majority of our government funding comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. We are, therefore, required to maintain such housing as affordable for a period of years generally related to the amount of the grant. In addition, we must submit annual performance reports.

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Recovery Housing Description

Three of our locations are part of our Journeys of Hope program, which provides specialized housing and services for individuals (and their families) in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Everyone who lives at one of our Journeys of Hope properties is in recovery. By living together, these residents can draw on one another's strength because being sober--and staying sober--is tough. Each property has a weekly meeting that all residents are required to attend. We also have a full-time addictions counselor to help them along the way. In 2009, 124 people called our Journeys of Hope properties home. Journeys of Hope is funded through rent and HUD's Supportive Housing Program. Most of these residents were homeless before coming to live at a Journeys of Hope property.

Budget

260631

Category

Mental Health, Substance Abuse Programs, General/other Substance Abuse

Population Served

Alcohol, Drug, Substance Abusers, Homeless, Adults

Program Success Monitored By

Most of the supportive services provided through the Journeys of Hope program are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Supportive Housing Program. We are required to submit an annual performance report to HUD that summarizes resident demographics, their length of stay in the program and reason for leaving, and services they received while in the program.

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Health Matters Description

Health Matters grew from a partnership we had with the Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Every spring, nurse practitioner students spent three months at our Mercury Courts location working with formerly homeless residents This nursing rotation ended with a health fair. We realized, however, that a three-month focus on health wasn't enough. This became painfully obvious in 2006 when, during a meeting with a funder, we showed them a video our residents had produced a couple of years earlier. We saw that many residents featured in the film had since died from preventable causes. We had to do something, and Health Matters was born. We offer a full-time health advocate who follows up on ambulance calls and ER visits by our residents and helps them to find medical homes; organizes health workshops in partnership with Trevecca Nazarene University's physician assistant program; and signs residents up for prescription assistance programs and indigent care. August 2012 marked an important day for our Health Matters program because we opened a primary care clinic at Mercury Courts in partnership with Vanderbilt School of Nursing.

Budget

66000

Category

Health Care, General/Other Preventive Health

Population Served

Poor,Economically Disadvantaged,Indigent, At-Risk Populations, Adults

Short Term Success

• 60 of 75 (80%) residents who attend health workshops will demonstrate increased knowledge of the subject covered

• 21 of 35 (60%) residents who are linked to a medical home by the • • •

Program Success Monitored By

health advocate will attend one or more appointments and/or decrease ambulance or emergency room usage 20 of 33 (60%) residents identified by our partners at our health fair screenings as needing follow-up care will be linked to it 26 of 30 (85%) students training for medical professions who prepare or lead health workshops for our residents will demonstrate an increased understanding of the issues facing disadvantaged communities 12 of 20 (60%) residents who have been assessed as medically fragile or vulnerable will move up one or more levels on the self-sufficiency matrix by the time they are assessed again

The Health Matters program uses several methods to track program success: • a client database into which assessments and daily case notes on residents are entered by our resident services team • verbal and written reports on ambulance and emergency room visits for residents served by the program from residents, service coordinators, and our front desk staff • a sign-in sheet and pre- and post-tests for each health workshop that's taught. Most of these workshops are taught by Trevecca's physician assistant students, who have been instructed to read the questions and multiple-choice answers for each class, as many of our residents are functionally illiterate • screening results collected by our partners at the semiannual health fairs • questionnaires provided to each student who leads or prepares health workshops for our residents (one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end) • resident self-reporting and physician reporting of medical appointments attended

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Examples of Program Success

A resident at one of our properties suffers with persistent mental illness and reached a point where suicide interventions were being made weekly by an outside agency. The Health Matters program worked with a mental health agency to get his medications changed and enroll him in services at a MH agency that provides wraparound services. The new medications are working, and the resident has not accessed emergency mental health services in six months. A study conducted on Health Matters in early 2010 by a Vanderbilt student researcher revealed that ambulance calls to Mercury Courts, the property the program primarily serves, have declined since the program's inception in October 2007 from an average of eight per month to an average of seven. This is significant--especially considering the high-risk population the program serves. In addition to providing our residents with better access to care, Health Matters has also been instrumental in teaching them when to use emergency services.

CEO Comments When we began providing affordable housing in 1991 as CCS Housing, we had a much narrower focus. We had one property, Mercury Courts, and it was targeted to homeless individuals in Nashville. As we learned more about the mechanics of property management and the needs of our residents, we were able to expand our reach into new communities—the mentally ill, people with HIV/AIDS, people in recovery from alcohol and substance abuse, and people and families who could not afford housing elsewhere. We also learned that we must provide our residents with some of the tools to become successful. They need the service coordination that links them with the services available outside our properties…they need the transportation that gets them to their doctors, their food stamp appointments, and their job interviews…and they need the encouragement provided by classes and social activities. We now have a full-fledged program that provides this at our largest property, Mercury Courts, which houses up to 164 of our residents. This year we are offering these same services and activities to the residents of our other properties.

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Governance Board Chair Board Chair

Mr. John Gregory

Company Affiliation

Renasant Bank

Term

Apr 2008 to Apr 2017

Email

[email protected]

Board Members Name

Affiliation

Status

Mr. John Gregory

Renasant Bank

Voting

Mr. Stephen Alan Harris

Trevecca Nazarene University

Voting

Mr. Chris Mayfield Esq.

HCA

Voting

Mr. Elroy Mihailov

TAG (Trimble Action Group) and 2020 Research

Voting

Mr. Lincoln Perez

Low-Income Representative-Resident

Voting

Mr. Kurt Schreiber

Cumberland Trust

Voting

Board Demographics - Ethnicity African American/Black

0

Asian American/Pacific Islander

0

Caucasian

5

Hispanic/Latino

1

Native American/American Indian

0

Other

0

Board Demographics - Gender Male

6

Female

0

Unspecified

0

Governance Board Term Lengths

0

Board Term Limits

0

Board Meeting Attendance %

85%

Written Board Selection Criteria?

No

Written Conflict of Interest Policy?

Yes

Percentage Making Monetary Contributions

50%

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Percentage Making In-Kind Contributions

100%

Constituency Includes Client Representation

Yes

Number of Full Board Meetings Annually

3

Standing Committees Executive Finance Human Resources / Personnel Management Strategic Planning / Strategic Direction

Risk Management Provisions Accident & Injury Coverage Automobile Insurance Commercial General Liability Computer Equipment & Software Directors & Officers Policy Employment Practices Liability General Property Coverage Professional Liability Umbrella or Excess Insurance Workers Compensation & Employers' Liability

CEO Comments We have changed the make-up of our board so that it more closely mirrors our employees and the people we serve. Doing so will help us to address the needs and underlying issues our residents face. As a community development corporation, one-third of our board must consist of low-income individuals, people who live in a low-income census tract, or elected representatives of low-income groups. Though we are currently meeting this requirement, we need to add additional women and minorities to diversify the board.

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Management Executive Director/CEO Executive Director

Mr. Rusty Lawrence

Term Start

May 1991

Email

[email protected]

Experience Rusty worked as the Executive Director of the Council of Community Services, which was like Nashville’s Chamber of Commerce for Social Services, for 15 years prior to coming to Urban Housing Solutions. The Tennessee Conference of Social Workers recognized him as the State Advocate of the Year, and he served for years as Vice President of the National Association of Planning Councils. Rusty also did a short stint as a social worker for the Department of Human Services. He earned a Master’s Degree in International Development after spending two years in the Peace Corps and the InterAmerican Foundation, in addition to an international fellowship through Partners of the Americas. He was named the CEO of the Year at the 2008 Salute to Excellence; the Bank of America sponsored the award.

Staff Full Time Staff

32

Part Time Staff

3

Volunteers

7

Contractors

0

Retention Rate

77%

Plans & Policies Does the organization have a documented Fundraising Plan? Under Development Does the organization have an approved Strategic Plan? Under Development In case of a change in leadership, is a Management Succession plan in place? Under Development Does the organization have a Policies and Procedures Plan? Under Development Does the organization have a Nondiscrimination Policy? Yes Does the organization have a Whistle Blower Policy? Yes Does the organization have a Document Destruction Policy? Yes

Awards Awards

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Award/Recognition

Organization

Year

Innovation in Action Finalist at Salute to Excellence (Center for Nonprofit Management)

The Frist Foundation

2005

Neighborhood Builders Award

The Bank of America Foundation

2006

HCA Award of Achievement-Management of Innovation

Center for Nonprofit Management

1994

Chief Executive Officer of the Year The Center for Nonprofit (sponsored by Bank of America) Management

2008

Cost Savings Competition--Large Agency Category

2009

The HCA Foundation

Senior Staff Mr. Alan Mazer Esq. Title

General Counsel

Experience/Biography

Alan joined the staff of Urban Housing Solutions in 2008 after serving 10 years as the president of our board of directors. He is a 1974 graduate of Vanderbilt Law School and has been a practicing real estate attorney for 34 years. He has been active in the non-profit community for his entire career, serving as a volunteer and board member of The Temple, Tennessee Special Olympics, Buddies of Nashville, Hillel, Matthew 25, Habitat for Humanity, and Opportunities Industrialization Center.

Mr. Brent Elrod Title

Project Developer

Experience/Biography

Ms. Laura Ward CPA Title Experience/Biography

Ms. Traci Patton MA Title

Director of Community Housing Services

Experience/Biography

CEO Comments We have developed a unique model for affordable housing management that gives our residents opportunities and responsibilities they might not have elsewhere. Over the last 23 years, we have responded to the needs and “demands” of those marginalized in the Nashville population. We have developed the housing that emerged as “blips” on the radar screen on “need”. As such, we have been the leader in developing housing for the very poor and those with special needs. During this process our Board has served not just as a Board…but as a panel of experts…a team of consultants that I can go to to discuss problems and find solutions. We have conducted and managed our non-profit agency like a business…taking risks and making decisions that further our mission.

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Financials Fiscal Year Fiscal Year Start

Jan 01 2016

Fiscal Year End

Dec 31 2016

Projected Revenue

$6,056,162.00

Projected Expenses

$5,334,218.00

Endowment Value

$0.00

Endowment Spending Policy

N/A

Endowment Spending Percentage (if selected)

0%

Detailed Financials Revenue and Expenses Fiscal Year Total Revenue Total Expenses Revenue Sources Fiscal Year Foundation and Corporation Contributions Government Contributions Federal State Local Unspecified Individual Contributions Indirect Public Support Earned Revenue Investment Income, Net of Losses Membership Dues Special Events Revenue In-Kind Other

2015 $7,684,755 $5,961,950

2014 $6,376,510 $5,729,111

2013 $5,587,260 $5,607,778

2015 $0

2014 $21,700

2013 $66,000

$1,533,782 $0 $0 $0 $1,533,782 $241,636 $0 $5,808,800 $3,688 $0 $0 $0 $96,869

$1,266,340 $0 $0 $0 $1,266,340 $125,952 $0 $4,513,721 $613 $0 $0 $0 $448,184

$830,971 $0 $0 $0 $830,971 $624,584 $0 $3,887,424 $2,062 $0 $0 $0 $176,219

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Expense Allocation Fiscal Year Program Expense Administration Expense Fundraising Expense Payments to Affiliates Total Revenue/Total Expenses Program Expense/Total Expenses Fundraising Expense/Contributed Revenue Assets and Liabilities Fiscal Year Total Assets Current Assets Long-Term Liabilities Current Liabilities Total Net Assets Short Term Solvency Fiscal Year Current Ratio: Current Assets/Current Liabilities Long Term Solvency Fiscal Year Long-Term Liabilities/Total Assets

2015 $5,857,280 $104,670 $0 $0 1.29 98% 0%

2014 $5,606,683 $122,428 $0 $0 1.11 98% 0%

2013 $5,487,090 $120,688 $0 $0 1.00 98% 0%

2015 $32,914,710 $4,202,419 $7,749,976 $604,985 $24,559,749

2014 $31,917,351 $2,879,202 $8,386,908 $693,499 $22,836,944

2013 $30,840,179 $1,588,567 $7,947,552 $703,082 $22,189,545

2015 6.95

2014 4.15

2013 2.26

2015 24%

2014 26%

2013 26%

2014 Program Services $4,513,721 Government Grants $1,266,340 Miscellaneous $448,184

2013 Earned Revenue $3,887,424 Government Grants $830,971 Individual Donations $624,584

Top Funding Sources Fiscal Year Top Funding Source & Dollar Amount

2015 Program Revenue $5,808,800 Second Highest Funding Source & Dollar Government Grants Amount $1,533,782 Third Highest Funding Source & Dollar Contributions, Gifts Amount and Grants $241,636

Capital Campaign Is the organization currently conducting a Capital Campaign for an endowment or the purchase of a major asset?

No

Capital Campaign Goal

$0.00

Capital Campaign Raised-to-Date Amount

$0.00 as of 0

Capital Campaign Anticipated in Next 5 Years?

No

State Charitable Solicitations Permit TN Charitable Solicitations Registration

Yes - Expires June 2017

Registration

No 0

Organization Comments We are fortunate to have enough income from our mission-based activities—in our case, the rent and rent subsidies we receive—to support our day-to-day operations. So we operate our properties on the basis of our on-going rents…but for growth and support services, we must look outside.

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As we began to increase our delivery of supportive and improvement services for our residents, we have become more focused on the fundraising that can sustain these activities. We are in the process of putting together a more formal fundraising program, and we have the right staff to do it. As part of our strategic planning process, we began to address some of our financial issues, namely cash management and the debt on our properties. Our new emphasis is to pay off as much of the debt as possible on our properties…so that we can in turn provide scholarships on our apartments. We don’t want lack of income to keep otherwise deserving applicants out of our apartments. By paying off several of our mortgages and moving our cash into higher-interest accounts in the past few years, we have moved toward this goal. GivingMatters.com Financial Comments Financial figures taken from the 990. Financial documents completed by Bellenfant & Miles, PLLC. Comments provided by Kathryn Bennett 7/22/16.

Created 01.29.2017.

Copyright © 2017 The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee 15