Back in 1983, I felt as if I were going back to the original days of the Institute, or even before, when Father Gailhac was ministering to and caring for the poor and the homeless. After 25 years of teaching and 6 years in the Provincial Center, I found a new vocation: HOUSING. Homelessness was changing. Much of the housing stock in New York City was changing. And the ugly head of homelessness was appearing in the most unsuspected places, in neighborhoods where it had been almost unknown. There was a slogan in those days that amounted to: If the homeless had a home and a job, they would be all right. The problem would go away.

Sister Georgette and I joined in an effort of the Partnership for the Homeless to provide shelter in the Churches and the Synagogues. We opened a shelter in our Church and sheltered women. It did not take more than a few weeks to realize how untrue that slogan was. It was obvious to us that the only solution was what is now known as supported housing. We began with an idea for housing for about 25 women. Funding was not there for that type of housing at that time and we continued to mold and shape our plan. In 1985 we formed our corporation Columba Kavanagh House.

In 1987 we received our first funding for the construction of Columba Hall on East 188th Street. It opened in 1990 as permanent housing for 110 single adults, all of whom are selected from the homeless population in the shelters and streets and have a history of mental and/or substance abuse illness. Columba Hall was designed specifically for this population. It consists of twenty-two five-bedroom apartments called suites. Each suite consists of five bedrooms, two full baths and a large kitchen-dining room. It did not take long for two more buildings to follow – 87 units on West 124th Street and 63 units on West 142nd Street. We provide permanent housing to 260 formerly homeless single men and women who have mental and /or substance illnesses. The populations in each building are similar although each building has its own particular flavor.

Although we do not work directly with women and children, most of the tenants, male and female, have children although they are not currently living with them. Our tenants are usually in some kind of substance abuse day programs or mental health day programs. Some are employed. We empower them by helping them to regain control of their own lives, help them sustain their sobriety, take their medication if that is what they need, and not let the pebbles in the road derail them and to take care of their physical health.

About 1/3 of the tenants are women. Some are trying to get their lives together so that they may get their children back. Others have lost their children to the system because they were not able to get their lives together in time. The men have many needs also. They also lost their families, wives and children to mental illness, drugs and/or alcohol. Learning to live together is an introduction to living in a family.

Columba Kavanagh House has its own social service company with a Director of Residential Services. Each building has a Social Service Supervisor, Counselors who specialize in Substance Abuse services, services for the mentally ill chemical abusers, counselors who specialize in teaching Adult Daily Living skills, money management, anger management, apartment care, personal care, and the like. There is a Health Coordinator, a Career Counselor, a Community Organizer, and a part time psychiatrist.

We engage tenants in alternates to the behaviors that have brought them to Columba Houses. We have all kinds of activities: pot luck dinners, bingo, parties, exercises, tournaments, movies, and whatever other activities will engage the tenants. We have a tenant advisory council in each building and are trying to train them in the leadership of the building. It is their home and, as some are with us since we opened, many will stay with us for their whole lives.