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The Haven Home was established as the “family overflow shelter” in 2017 to serve homeless women and their children in Cuyahoga County. The Family Overflow Shelter exists to provide temporary emergency shelter until a bed becomes available at a family shelter. The length of time at The Haven Home is dependent upon many factors, including the number of families in shelter, housing availability, and placements.
The Haven Home was built in 1955 and served as a convent for St. Hyacinth Catholic Church until the church and other buildings on the property were sold to Elizabeth Baptist Church. From 2014 until 2017, Family Promise of Greater Cleveland leased the building, named “The Haven” from Elizabeth Baptist Church. The Haven Home was incorporated in 2017 and now leases the building from Next Steps, an entity formed by Elizabeth Baptist Church.
The Haven Home opened under a service model that provided shelter from 6 p.m. until 7 a.m. the following morning on weekdays and all day on weekends and federally recognized holidays.
Families in a shelter reported to Coordinated Intake in the Bishop Cosgrove Building daily, returned to the building at 6 p.m. and were transported by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries to The Haven Home. Every morning at 7 a.m., the families were transported back to the Bishop Cosgrove Building by Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries. While at the Bishop Cosgrove Building, the families had access to a playroom, lunch, computers, and other services. The Haven Home can house up to 15 families at a time, with a maximum capacity of 52 people.
The onset of COVID-19 caused closures of the Bishop Cosgrove Building, public libraries, recreation centers, and other locations where the families typically spent their time until The Haven Home opened. The Family Overflow Shelter is a joint effort between Lutheran Metropolitan Ministries and Frontline Services. The Haven Home expanded its hours to a 24-hour service model in August 2019. The expanded service model provided an opportunity for a shared staffing model that included programs such as art therapy, parenting, career coaching, housing, and employment workshops. These asset-building programs help prepare women and children for obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. The Haven Home is a unique service-enriched overflow shelter.