It’s more than a seat at the table, more than a reminder. A repurposed dining room chair’s crossbars hold messages both simple and empowering: Independence. Opportunity. Community.
The seat is plastered with photographs of individuals living in North Coast Community Homes (NCCH) residences across Cuyahoga and Summit counties, along with a crayon drawing bearing a sincere “thank you for helping me” note.
The chair is always at the boardroom table, and at every internal meeting and gathering with supporters in this space.
People are “The Why” at this nonprofit housing solutions partner, which provides quality community-based residences and supportive services to foster independence.
“Whenever we have discussions, it always comes back to the residents we all know and care about,” says Chris West, president and CEO. “Everything that comes out of North Coast is about maintaining a person-centered focus. And while the system has always talked about that, we are really living it in every decision we make.”
Individuals with disabilities who join the NCCH Neighborhood of residents become family to the organization and each other. And because of the organization’s 40 years of providing high-integrity homes that support independence, more than 600 residents are successfully thriving in the community.
“We are really in the people business,” West says matter-of-factly. “We’re constantly asking, ‘What is the best solution to serve our residents?’”
There are many ways to answer this question.
“Our residents all have their own personalities and individualized needs, so we meet them where they are and do everything we can to create an environment where they can reach their potential,” says Nicholas Stroup, director of operations.
Housing is ultimately the NCCH platform. NCCH homes provide an accessible, safe, comfortable foundation where residents can live their best lives with personalized support services to enhance their physical, emotional, behavioral and social wellbeing.
Today, NCCH owns or manages nearly 200 properties positioned as the “best house on the street” where residents lease from the nonprofit, building a sense of pride and dignity. The nonprofit’s model is different because it is centered on supportive independence, not merely a place to live.
Its homes are the place to live for a wide spectrum of individuals because every resident, every day, has a seat at the NCCH table.
Written by Kristen Hampshire