More than a Home: Kandy's Story

More than a Home

It’s a Thursday morning when we speak with Kandy to chat about her experience at Tender Mercies. She’s just woken up but she’s excited to tell her story. We’re approaching her third anniversary of her sobriety and she mentions it within moments of starting our conversation.

“I’m working on me, you know?” Kandy asks. “I was miserable [when I was drinking]. It made it hard for me to love myself.”

In addition to childhood neglect, Kandy is a victim of domestic violence and other traumas, making the security she experiences here all the more important to her. People whose lives lack security often cannot work on the factors which led them to experience homelessness.

“This is my home,” she says. “Tender Mercies gave me the stability to work on me. It gave me structure.”

That stability allowed Kandy to kick an almost 30-year drinking habit. Her alcoholism affected all of her personal and professional relationships, and she experienced homelessness multiple times before coming to Tender Mercies.

But with the help of Tender Mercies’ supportive services, Resident Support Workers, and community of residents, Kandy has learned how to love and respect herself. Her sobriety means that Kandy is a completely different person today than when she came here three years ago. According to Tender Mercies staff, Kandy has done a 180-degree turnaround and the joy she is able to express is palpable — not something that would have been said upon her arrival.

That is the transformative power of Permanent Supportive Housing. When individuals are given access to the kind of stability, security, and dignity provided by Tender Mercies, they are give the opportunity to change the trajectory of their life.

Today Kandy enjoys walking and listening to the radio, and spends her days making art and working on herself.

“I made it this far,” she said. “I can go further.”

We cannot wait to see how far Kandy will go, and are proud to be her cheerleaders along the way.

This story has been adapted for the web from our 2023 Annual Report, which can be read in full here.

What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

Tender Mercies primarily provides what is called “Permanent Supportive Housing” (PSH) for adults who have experienced homelessness and who have a documented history of mental illness. But what is it? And who benefits? Read more to find out.

What is Permanent Supportive Housing?

Permanent Supportive Housing is just that – it’s permanent housing for those who have been living on the streets, in shelter, or some other kind of temporary housing. Residents of that housing become permanent members of the community while they recover from experiencing homelessness. Housing is paired with supportive services that seek to seek to help each individual achieve their highest level of independence.

Does PSH work?

Yes! PSH is the “gold standard” for ending homelessness. Research shows that PSH is proven to be the most successful, cost-effective intervention for keeping people housed, while improving health.

Is PSH Shelter?

No. Permanent Supportive Housing differs from shelter, which is a temporary living space intended to ensure individuals experiencing homelessness can ensure their survival.

So people can just live at Tender Mercies forever?

Yes and no. Yes, folks who qualify for PSH will never be asked to leave; however, because the support they receive leads to greater stability, most residents choose to leave after about five years, in order to live more independently. For some residents, Tender Mercies will be their home for the rest of their lives, and it is our honorable duty to provide them with the security, dignity and community they deserve.

Do residents pay rent?

Yes! Residents sign a lease, receive their own key, and pay rent based on a percentage of their income, which is obtained through applying for Medicaid, social security income, and other program benefits. Residents of Tender Mercies never pay more than 30% of their income for housing.

Do residents have to be sober to live in PSH?

Sobriety is neither a requirement nor a prerequisite for housing. This evidence-based “Housing First” method seeks to create a stable environment for people regardless of sobriety so they have the space to confront the issues that led them to experience homelessness in the first place.

Who benefits from PSH?

Everyone. Municipalities focus resources on proven interventions, those experiencing homelessness receive the housing and security they need to survive, and public services like hospitals, jails and the justice system experience less strain from the pain and desperation homelessness proliferates.

New 10-Year Strategic Plan: Same Mission, New Statement

Since 1985, our mission statement has been “Tender Mercies transforms the lives of homeless adults with mental illness by providing security, dignity and community in a place they call home.”

In 2022, Tender Mercies engaged its Board of Trustees, staff, and residents in a comprehensive discussion to create a new 10-year strategic plan. Following guidance from all stakeholders, Tender Mercies is proud to unveil its vision for transforming the lives of people in Greater Cincinnati experiencing both homelessness and mental illness.

This story and more await you. Read more in our 2023 Annual Report

Over the last decade, strategic fundraising, investments and partnerships have given us the ability to serve a larger share of Hamilton County’s population experiencing homelessness. Because of those strategic moves, Tender Mercies is redefining its mission while remaining true to its vision, core values, and unwavering principles. With the evolution of new national best practices in caring for the population we serve, coupled with a growing drug epidemic, the landscape of what we do and how we provide the best service to our clients has changed. It is our responsibility to adjust to meet those needs.

What Tender Mercies does will be changing only in that it will be expanding its capacities.

How Tender Mercies accomplishes that will remain theoretical, temporarily, as we align resources and stakeholders to ensure the success of each additional or expanded program. The wellbeing of every resident and staff member is and always will be priority number one at Tender Mercies, and so these changes are not taken lightly.

Moving forward, the mission of Tender Mercies is stated as:

“Tender Mercies transforms the lives of homeless adults with mental illness by providing a community where residents can achieve their highest level of well-being.”

This new emphasis on ensuring each residents achieves their highest level of independence underscores and calls out the principle we’ve always lived by: that progress means something different to each individual; however it transforms our narrative for residents by acknowledging that independence looks different for everyone as well. Put simply: Tender Mercies is rededicating itself to the principle of “from each according to their ability, to each according to their need.” Tender Mercies, with our new mission statement, is acknowledging our abilities are great; that we can do more; and therefore, we are.

Slater Hall - Leaving a Legacy

Update: July 2023

Since our last update in February, tons of progress has been made on the construction of Slater Hall.

Some quick highlights include:

• The roof is complete!

• Windows are being installed

• AC continues to be installed

• Brick veneer has begun being installed

• Drywall is being hung

We are on track to open Slater Hall in fall of 2023. The 62-unit building will include 13 offices, as well as a consultation room, and additional safety features for residents and staff.

• Completion date: Oct/ Nov 2023

• Begin lease-up: Nov 2023

• Ribbon Cutting: Jan 2024

Kudos to our team, and our construction partners at HGC for making the dream of affordable housing a reality for the clients we serve.

Update: February 2023

Despite a very wet December, work has progressed on the Slater Hall construction project. The North stairwell tower has been erected, the forms for the basement have been placed and should be poured soon.

We are on scheduled to finish construction by a projected date of mid-October. After that, we will begin leasing up the property and transitioning select residents from Spaeth & Kelly Hall and PSH2 who have been identified to relocate to Slater.

We are excited to be able to offer a newly constructed property to provide a safe, dignified home to 62 residents and a modernized work home for TM’s amazing staff.

Slater Hall: New 62-Unit Apartment coming to Cincinnati

In 2022 Tender Mercies broke ground on a new Permanent Supportive Housing apartment complex in Cincinnati’s historic West End neighborhood. Designed to expand Tender Mercies’ ability to meet the growing needs of the Greater Cincinnati region, this new building is named for Tender Mercies founder, Mr. Edward Slater.

“This is the future of Permanent Supportive Housing,” said Tender Mercies CEO Russell Winters. “None of this would be possible without support and buy-in from the City of Cincinnati, our community partners, and individual donors.”

This newly constructed project will add 62 units of efficiency housing to Tender Mercies’ current portfolio. It will also enable us to relocate residents from two properties in need of modernization, thereby clearing the way for a full rehab of their current home. None of this is possible without you, our donors and stakeholders.

The name of Slater Hall honors the legacy of Ed Slater, who, in 1985, joined Father Chris Hall and Randy Lafond, in founding Tender Mercies. For 38 years Ed has been a champion of the rights of people experiencing homelessness, and has been a forward-thinking leader in working to ensure security, dignity and community is given to those experiencing mental illness. Today, Ed Slater and his partner are still proud residents of Over-the-Rhine.

Slater Hall will feature efficiency apartments that will initially accommodate current residents of Tender Mercies, who will be moved from their current 12th Street apartments into the new facilities, thereby making space for Tender Mercies to modernize two of its currently-owned historic buildings on 12th Street. Amenities for residents will include individual bathrooms, commercial on-site laundry facilities, expanded kitchen facilities, and enhanced safety features. Office space will allow more staff to be on-site to meet the needs of residents, while newly created common areas will ensure residents have a sense of shared space and community.

Construction of the building is done through HGC Construction. Financing for Slater Hall has been made possible through OTR Community Housing, the Cincinnati Development Fund, The City of Cincinnati’s LIHTC funding, and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. This building, this community-wide effort to solve homelessness in Greater Cincinnati, is slated to open in October 2023.

Moving On: Reducing Recidivism

Tender Mercies’ defined objective is “To be and be recognized as the premier provider of supportive housing in the region for homeless adults with mental illness.” To that end, there are many reasons for us to boast: 100% of residents last year exited to a positive housing outcome; 97% of residents say they would recommend TM to a friend; and 706 volunteers and groups served over 31,000 meals in 2021. But what comes next? What happens when someone leaves Tender Mercies and has to survive and manage their mental illness on their own?

To ensure the success of each resident and reduce the rate by which someone returns to homelessness –  what we call “recidivism” – Tender Mercies has developed strategies that place an even greater emphasis on resident independence. Before exiting Tender Mercies, staff work with residents to get a sense for their ability to live independently. Indicators like psychiatric stability, income and employment, and the ability to perform activities of daily living (such as grooming, budgeting, self-monitoring of mental health symptoms) are all considered when developing a plan to exit Tender Mercies.

 When they are ready to move on, our Housing After Care Coordinator, along with our new Moving On Engagement Specialists work with residents to help them understand what that might look like. First, we work to create an environment to address the issues keeping people from moving on. By understanding the needs of each resident, we can attack those issues head on and begin fostering in them a sense of self-motivated independence.

 This is what has helped Tender Mercies reduce its recidivism over the years. Essentially, Tender Mercies takes the same approach, the same ethos, at each moment of the resident’s journey: meet them where they are. By focusing on individualized care and targeting the specific needs of each resident we are able to find the best support system and connect them to the tri-state’s wide range of services. Sometimes that means obtaining Social Security benefits. Sometimes we have the resources to provide their first month’s rent or a security deposit. And sometimes it’s as simple as making sure they have furniture for their new home. Every part of the journey from homelessness to independence is important, and that core value has allowed us to reduce our recidivism rate from 35% in 2012 to 8% in 2021.

More than anything, our After Care and our new Moving On program means the development of deeper connections among the staff and residents of Tender Mercies. Those connections, made possible by our donors, mean that support, assistance, and care are available to help our residents gain stability and reclaim their independence.