New Bridge Housing Project opens in Chapel Hill

The Wonderful HousePhoto byCourtesy of Town of Chapel Hill

Submitted To The Tribune

CHAPEL HILL – Orange County Government joined Alliance Health and Caramore, Inc. on Monday to open the Wonderful House, a new bridge housing project at 2032 Homestead Road. The house honors the late Wonderful Buie, a Caramore peer support specialist and resident manager, and his own history of homelessness and recovery.

Bridge housing paired with supportive services is an evidence-based best practice designed to help stabilize people coming out of homelessness, incarceration and institutions. It provides safe housing for three to five months with a focus on recovery supports, case management and peer support, developing independent living skills, and making connections to permanent housing. Bridge housing has been identified for several years as a critical need in the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness System Gaps Analysis.

The Homestead Road property is a five-bedroom brick ranch home located next to a city bus stop and near Interfaith Council facilities, the Southern Human Services building and the Seymour Center. It will house six people referred by Orange County and Alliance Health in four bedrooms for up to five months and will be staffed seven days a week with a case manager and peer support professional providing both individual and group programming. Orange County housing, reentry, street outreach, and behavioral health and social service providers will have access to the home to provide additional support.

The house will be managed by Caramore under contract with Alliance Health, with project funding shared by Orange County Government and Alliance. The funding from Orange County is through the Partnership to End Homelessness, which is also supported by the towns of Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough.

Since 1974, Caramore has provided vocational and residential support services to Orange County adults living with mental illness. Alliance Health is the public managed care organization for county citizens with severe mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and long-term care needs including intellectual/developmental disability and traumatic brain injury.

“With growing numbers of Orange County residents with behavioral health needs experiencing homelessness and needing support on their way to permanent housing, this program will provide critical housing and interventions,” said Ann Oshel, Alliance SVP for Community Health and Well-Being. Alliance’s funding of the project is part of over $8 million invested in housing support for its health plan members since 2017.

“Wonderful House will provide a critical step in ensuring all residents of Orange County have housing and the behavioral health support they need,” Orange County Housing Director Blake Rosser said. “This short-term, low- barrier housing, coupled with supportive services, will provide a successful transition into permanent housing.”

A ribbon cutting is Sept. 9, 11 a.m., with tours of the house to follow.