EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one in a series looking at what Lake County communities, agencies and school districts experienced in 2024 and what is facing them in 2025. Project Hope for the Homeless continued to provide shelter and support for the homeless and newly housed in its 31st year. The Painesville Township-based organization served 390 people in 2024, according to Executive Director Judy Burr. More than 75 percent of those guests had gone on to treatment or housing. The center offers adult and family shelters and can hold around 50 people a night, Burr said. An off-site transitional home serves seniors who stay for 90 days to six months before moving into housing. She added that an unduplicated count used by state officials typically finds between 90 and 100 people on the streets of Lake County at night. Burr added that there has been an increased need for shelter this year. The Lifeline community action agency received 4,367 calls for shelter from Lake County in 2024, up from 4,290 in 2023. Those numbers included multiple calls from the same people, she said. Individuals may need to call multiple times before being admitted to Project Hope. “The need has definitely increased for people trying to get into the shelter,” Burr said. While the need has increased, she said that guests have been staying longer because of the difficulties with finding housing. “I think it’s very, very challenging to get successfully rehoused right now due to the very high rents and lack of units that are available, so somebody could have a voucher or money in hand and still be sitting here waiting because there’s nowhere to go,” Burr said. “So that has been a very frustrating thing, I think, on our end, and it backlogs people from getting into the shelter on the front end, if that makes sense. Their stays are a little bit longer because they’re having a harder time moving forward as quickly.” Burr said that while houses have been built for higher-income residents, there is not enough housing stock for lower-income residents. “I’m not sure if that has to do with people (being) afraid their property values might go down, I’m not sure exactly why that’s going on,” she said. “It’s kind of worse, though, when people are out on the street, and then that just leads to more issues like increased hospital stays and increased jail stays, crimes, when we don’t take care of housing. But it’s a systematic thing.” Burr added that the organization is part of a coalition that discusses solutions with local leaders and advocates for more home construction. She added that challenges also come from people who do not give their mental health the care it needs. Project Hope works to connect guests with services that can help those guests. “If you don’t have that part of the puzzle together, it’s not likely you’re going to remain successfully housed,” Burr said. Project Hope opened a new Welcome Home Center this year as part of its efforts to help guests transition to housing. The organization said that the 700-square-foot warehouse allows residents to choose household supplies as they move to new living arrangements. Community Engagement Director John Arthur Hutchinson said earlier in the year that the Welcome Home Center had been built with funds raised in a capital campaign and donated labor. Project Hope for the Homeless also offers an aftercare program that provides support, case management, educational workshops, care packages and other events for guests who have moved out, Burr said. In December, the program hosted a “Santa Shop” where children could choose gifts for family members. She added that it typically takes the organization fewer than 40 days to transition a guest to the next step, whether that is housing or a type of treatment. A social worker is available on site every night, and partner agencies also help guests with their needs, whether those are financial needs, medical needs or other concerns. Project Hope received just under $132,000 from the OneOhio Recovery Foundation last year to support its case management work and efforts to fight addiction. It was also given more than $15,000 from the state’s capital budget to fund its equipment and software needs. Previous guests also got involved with the organization. “We’ve had a really beautiful year in regards to former guests actually interviewing and actually being hired here or coming back to serve in some capacity,” Burr said. “That’s always a huge blessing for us to see that kind of transformation.” Moving forward into 2025, Burr said that the organization is looking to spread the word about its work. It is open to visiting churches, businesses and other places to discuss what it does, and it also offers a public open house on the last Friday of each month from 10 a.m. to noon. “I think people are often skeptical or have preconceived notions about what a shelter is, and when they see it, it’s very – we provide everybody with dignity and respect, and it’s a full program, not just somewhere to stay,” she said. “They actually get their lives back on track and everything.” Project Hope is also “desperate for volunteers,” Burr said. People who are interested in applying can visit projecthopeforthehomeless.org. The organization will provide volunteers with an hour of training and pair new volunteers with experienced ones. She added that those who cannot volunteer can support the organization by praying or contributing goods from its current needs list, which can be found at a link on its website. Anyone interested in learning more can visit projecthopeforthehomeless.org or call its offices at 440-354-6417, Burr said. Project Hope for the Homeless is located at 25 Freedom Road in Painesville Township. “The people we serve are always so grateful,” Burr said. “I think there’s, like, a huge stereotype about that. We’re really blessed (with) the people that come through. It’s very rare we have a problem. Most people are just extremely grateful to be given a second chance, so I just want to thank the community for being responsive to that.”