Crawford Apartments
Supportive housing is permanent, stable and affordable. It is a proven, cost-effective way to end homelessness for people with disabilities. Residency in supportive housing can last as long as the individual or family requires. At Crawford Apartments, we partner with Shalom Community Center, Centerstone, and others to deliver:
- 25 safe, secure one-bedroom apartments
- Employment counseling, training, and placement
- Daily living skills instruction
- Counseling
- Case management
- Addictions counseling and support
- Health and wellness counseling
- Nutrition instruction
Crawford Apartments are approximately 700 square feet and include the following:
- Completely furnished apartments
- Access to washer/dryers
- One bedroom
- Kitchen
- One bathroom
- Living room
- Dining area
Pictured above: apartment with stove, refrigerator, dish washer, and ceiling fans. Appliances and basic furnishings provided.
Referrals for Crawford are being accepted at Shalom Community Center, Centerstone and LIFEDesigns. Contact our Administrative Director at cfleetwood@lifedesignsinc.org or at 800-875-9615.
Crawford Apartments II
The first phase of Crawford Apartments was so successful that LIFEDesigns built Crawford II. Continuing upon the tradition of providing permanent, stable, and affordable housing for people experiencing homelessness with disabilities, LIFEDesigns partnered with The Shalom Community Center and others to deliver:
- 36 safe, secure one-bedroom apartments
- A community kitchen where residents can learn to cook “Good and Cheap”
- An exercise room where residents can work off stress
- A computer lab that allows residents to look for jobs online
- A washer/dryer set on each floor
- A therapeutic labyrinth to assist with walking off anxiety
- Daily living skills instruction
- Counseling
- Case Management
- Addictions counseling and support
- Health and wellness counseling
- Nutrition instruction
- Completely furnished apartments
- One bedroom
- Kitchen
- One bathroom
- Living room
- Dining area
History
Housing first is a service paradigm that assumes a person is ready to be housed, and with appropriate supports, can retain their housing. It has demonstrated an 88% retention rate nationwide. It also dramatically reduces the need for expensive emergency public services such as emergency room visits and police intervention, improving the lives of residents and saving the public tax dollars. According to the University of Pennsylvania Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research, initial housing costs are offset by annual savings per person of $16,282.
Crawford is a permanent supportive housing collaboration, resulting from the efforts of the South Central Housing Network (SCHN), a regional and joint body of agencies committed to work to end homelessness in our communities. Together with Shalom Community Center, Centerstone, Indiana University Health, Hayes-Gibson International, and the Bloomington Housing Authority, LIFEDesigns participated in the Indiana Supportive Housing Institute in the spring of 2011 and started planning this development. In October 2014, the project received the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing and Community Development for providing wrap-around services to help tenants gain greater independence while maintaining stable housing.
Together with our partner agencies we hope to bring stable, decent, affordable housing and to coordinate the best possible housing resources and supportive services to people with disabilities who are experiencing chronic homelessness. Our goal to expand these communities will continue to require the kind of partnerships demonstrated by the Crawford Project. We are confident that the resources are available and hope to be part of efforts to bring those together: working to end homelessness, expand access to affordable housing, and create inclusive communities.
To read more about the Crawford Project, see our Crawford I Fact Sheet or our Crawford II Fact Sheet.