MVHO celebrates 30 years of providing housing for vulnerable citizens

It’s a milestone year for Miami Valley Housing Opportunities (MVHO), the nonprofit that for the past 30 years has worked to meet the housing needs of vulnerable citizens in our community. The organization provides safe housing for homeless individuals with disabilities — primarily mental illness and chemical dependency.

MVHO works collaboratively with social services providers in the community to link their tenants and homeless clients with the services they need to live independently. The tenant operations staff and property managers are involved in all aspects of day-to-day operations of MVHO-owned units and monitor the physical and social environments to help ensure housing stability for their tenants.

“For years, I think as an organization MVHO operated under the radar, but we want to share with the community the impact we are making in people’s lives throughout the Montgomery County region,” says CEO Debbie Watts Robinson.

This year alone MVHO will assist more than 1,200 individuals with permanent supportive housing and homeless outreach services.

Here’s what’s new

The MVHO PATH and Streetlink programs provide intensive homeless outreach services for individuals and families living on the streets or places not fit for human habitation. In April 2021, MVHO launched Project Clean, a collaborative program with Five Rivers Health Centers and ADAMHS. Here’s how it works: Two days a week, MVHO homeless outreach staff operate a mobile shower and laundry unit that can accommodate two people every 90 minutes. Robinson says outreach clients are thrilled with the hot showers and the opportunity to leave with clean clothes.

The MVHO Restoration Housing project is more than a year in the making. Over 50 units were identified for renovation, and the massive project of moving the residents to temporary housing was started in 2020. Final inspections on several units were recently completed, and residents are returning to updated homes with new finishes. “We want our tenants to be proud of the place they call home,” said Maintenance Director Willie Jones.

The focus of the MVHO 30th Anniversary Campaign is to help meet the everyday needs of their tenants with low-or-no income.

Here’s what they need:

  • Laundry detergent (liquid)
  • All-purpose cleaner
  • Mops
  • 5-gallon buckets
  • Shampoo
  • Body wash
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toilet paper
  • Underwear (men’s or women’s)

Donated items may be delivered to Miami Valley Housing Opportunities, 907 W. 5th St., #300, Dayton, OH 45402 between 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

For more information about MVHO, or if you want to contribute online, visit www.mvho.org or contact Rebecca DeLong, (937) 263-4449, ext. 415.

Trophies, anyone?

If your organization could make use of sports trophies, please let me know. A reader whose daughters played softball and basketball for years has accumulated a number of trophies that she’s hoping could be recycled for youth organizations.

Contact me at meredith.moss@coxinc.com


MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Meredith Moss writes about Dayton-area nonprofit organizations and their specific needs. If your group has a wish list it would like to share with our readers, contact Meredith: meredith.moss@coxinc.com.

Please include a daytime phone number and a photo that reflects your group’s mission.

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