Rethink.

Through innovative, emergent, collective, and visionary alternatives we are addressing service gaps and systemic barriers by harnessing the power of community.

  • Through feedback loops with our neighbors and service providers, we’re lifting up gaps and barriers our low-income population face when trying to meet their basic needs.

  • Through relationship and discussion, we're discovering visionary alternatives together with feasible and courageous next steps, ways to take action that feel good, and accountability that's helpful and non-accusatory.

  • Implementation of immediate/micro problem-solving leading to long-term/macro problem-solving through emergent collaboration.

Friction Points

    • Section 8 residents become homeless and lose their voucher because it takes 3+ months to pass inspection on new housing and process paperwork.

    • People on fixed incomes (usually seniors) are being priced out of their rental units with nowhere to go and are ineligible for vouchers.

    • Rental assistance is available on a first-come, first-served basis (lottery system).

    • No tools are available for housing navigation (i.e. no vetted list of units/landlords).

    • No accessible team of housing navigators (someone to help find and apply for new housing) is available.

    • There are no citywide furniture assistance programs to help with acquisition and delivery.

    • There's no legal or advocacy support against landlords who inappropriately collect application fees and/or fail to maintain the unit, making it unsafe.

    • No 24/7 drop-in centers or shelters for 18-24 year olds only are available.

    • There's no financial assistance for moving services or storage units.

    • There's no utility assistance for those with old (typically high) bills, preventing them from entering new housing.

    • No emergency protocols or programs exist for utility reconnection during extreme weather.

    • Extremely limited utility assistance is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

    • Monthly bus passes are expensive and hard to acquire.

    • Most nonprofits and service providers require in-person commitments and have limited support to help with transportation.

    • Part-time or short-term work is inconsistent (hours and tenure) and at the whims of the employer.

    • No affordable childcare options outside of normal work hours (8am-6pm).

    • Legal advice and support is extremely limited (especially detrimental for the international population).

    • There are no affordable and qualified cleaning/organizing services to make homes safer and healthier.

    • Limited food delivery options are available to those who are homebound or without a car.

    • No non-emergency medical transportation is available 72-hours before an appointment.

    • There are no readily available trauma-informed community service providers to accompany (truly walk with) someone immediately and compassionately through a crisis.

    • Lack of support groups for victims of gender-based/intimate partner violence.

This list is growing and constantly changing.

We’d love to hear from you about what should be prioritized and what we’ve missed, whether it’s an additional friction point or a resource that fills an identified service gap.

If you’re working on one of these friction points, please keep scrolling to Community Conversations so we can support your efforts!

Community Conversations

The goal: To make the system of how we formulate problems and imagine visionary solutions RIGOROUS, COLLABORATIVE, EXPLICIT & INTENTIONAL.

Bringing people together to explore:

How might we?

How might we? creatively reframes problems as opportunities in an inviting, inspiring, and inclusive way.

  • How serves as an invitation. 

  • Might inspires people to imagine the possibilities. 

  • We encourages inclusivity.

What if?

What if? expands your ability to imagine the infinite realm of possibilities embedded in any problem or opportunity.

And then:

Join us for upcoming Community Conversations around some of our prioritized friction points:

  • Creating safe spaces at night for our unhoused 18-24 year olds

  • Providing space for healing and support for victims of gender-based and intimate partner violence

  • Exploring the future of rental assistance as an equitable and effective tool for eviction prevention and housing stabilization

  • Lifting up community voices around transportation needs and opportunities

  • Building a tool kit for a future team of housing navigators

  • Addressing barriers to workforce development and stable/supportive employment

  • Developing a continuum of care after hospitalization or medical events in partnership with healthcare

Visionary Alternatives

Help us explore/try/launch a visionary alternative!

Tell us which and how below:

All of the following are only made possible through multiple partners and innovative collaboration:

1) Team of trained housing navigators with access to resources and tools including an interactive website listing all affordable housing, lists of values-aligned property managers and landlords, and more

2) A hub for shared services for nonprofits to supplement their income through Medicaid billing for Community Health Workers

3) A social enterprise that provides immediate employment with room for healing and community at entry with work to include furniture delivery (two birds, one scone!), greeting cards and gift creation, peer support, traditional retail, and more

4) A model similar to Habitat for Humanity but for renters

5) A support group led by and for victims of gender-based violence

6) A new rental assistance program built around equity and effectiveness

7) A partnership with Star House, a drop-in center in Columbus, for homeless young adults

8) YOUR IDEA HERE!