Balloons fluttered in the breeze where dozens of supporters gathered last week to celebrate the opening of Integrated Healthcare System’s Dignity Village, housing to combat homelessness at Seventh Street and Sapodilla Avenue in West Palm Beach.
Dignity Village’s 10 apartments mark a milestone in CEO Monique Brown Faust’s 21-year pursuit to create homes for as many people as possible.
Now, 67 people are off the streets, living in one of the apartments in Riviera Beach and West Palm Beach operated by her nonprofit.
“This is one more step in our goal of 100 beds,” said Faust, known affectionately as Dr. Moe. “You believe in what we do, and I’m grateful,” she told the crowd.
Integrated Healthcare Systems began 30 years ago as an organization called the Alpha Omega Alliance to serve homeless veterans. In 2015, the company reorganized to provide many of the services it offers today. It rebranded to its current name in 2021 and moved from its offices off of Broadway in Riviera Beach to the Northwest Neighborhood over the summer.
READ MORE: Homelessness in Palm Beach County has plunged, but experts warn there’s more to it
A significant advantage of Dignity Village is the on-site services that promote independence and foster recovery with primary health care, and mental health and substance abuse counseling services.
Behind the scenes
Advisory board member Jerson Dulis, director of strategic partnerships and philanthropy at Broward Community and Family Health Centers, said that he’s most proud of its collaborative efforts.
“We have the right personnel in place to make real change. We have a mutual referral system interconnecting agencies in a web of support,” Dulis said. Those connections make IHCS a hub for services, he said.
Board Chairperson Steve Kolman, a Jupiter resident and consultant at SMKolman Consulting, is an enthusiastic, ever-present participant. “My role is really to help with strategy,” he said, but what he loves is mentoring. Interacting with the clients who “came from rock bottom” fills him with hope.
“They’re happy. Their lives are totally changed. I’m supposed to be inspiring them, but they’re inspiring me,” Kolman said.
IHCS now has more professionals helping people negotiate the processes involved in getting social services. Case managers know the ropes, from getting a copy of a Social Security card or birth certificate to getting access to mental health care to applying for food stamps.
A permanent home
The case managers “are the navigators,” Chief Strategist Officer Chenise Bonilla said. Sometimes, “we hold people’s hands to help them achieve their goals.” But when clients gain a little confidence, they function independently, which is another small victory.
Bonilla’s background in criminal justice reform has taught her to have direct conversations with the clients. “We’ve seen it all,” she said. There are people who have been addicts for decades or with untreated mental illness, some who have spent the last 30 years in prison and some who have been victims of abuse since they were children.
Clients are typically referred to Dignity House through local agencies. But unlike shelters, Dignity Village is a permanent home. Bonilla says that some clients find other housing, opening space for a new person, and sometimes clients will reunite with family, but for many, she said, “We are their family and this is their home.”
According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, supportive housing improves stability for individuals and reduces reliance on costly emergency services. For example, a client at Dignity Village who can get an appointment with a doctor might avoid an expensive emergency room visit.
IHCS also promotes skill-building for employment. And having a place to sleep and take a shower before an important job interview is a game-changer. The ultimate goal is financial independence.
The 10 apartments (with two serving as models at the moment) at the newly opened location are two bedrooms with a shared bath, living area and kitchen. Some are double rooms.
They are furnished with donated furniture or pieces purchased with grants. There’s also a wish list where people can donate, Bonilla said. Dignity Village can only serve individuals, so no couples, single parents or families live there.
Life in the Northwest Neighborhood
Across the street is Styx Promenade, a project that brought six small businesses including a second-generation florist, a bookstore, a home care provider, and a soul food cafe to the street.
These improvements are part of the $2.6 million investment in revitalizing the historic Northwest Neighborhood, just a few blocks north of CityPlace. The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency designed the charming tan-and-white shotgun-style structures to welcome small businesses.
A Better Way Home Care owner Craig Glover is one of the Styx business owners. “I always wanted to be part of a community like this,” he said. He said Dignity Village is a place where people help their neighbors, a community of kindness promoted by the compassionate work IHCS does.
The business district, updated housing and street improvements are paving the way to that dream of community.
“I want to bring that back,” Glover said. “We have a core of really good people in the neighborhood.” Dignity Village and IHCS depend on the community’s support. Financial support, donations, collaborations and volunteers are always welcome. Visit them on the web here or call 561-899-9140.
This story was originally published by Stet News Palm Beach, a WLRN News partner.
