By Robert Behre

The Post and Courier
Monday, March 30, 2009

Evelyn Lewis clearly remembers the day in December 2007 when she found out an expected deposit didn't hit her bank account and that she had no rent money.

"It was a very terrifying thing," said the 75-year-old woman, who lives in an affordable one-bedroom apartment in West Ashley. "The first thing that came into my mind was: Where am I going to go?"

Robert Behre/The Post and Courier

A grant from ShelterNet helped Evelyn Lewis stay in her apartment.

Fortunately for her, the drama was very short-lived. As soon as the manager of the Grand Oak Apartments heard of her story, she placed a call to ShelterNet, an arm of the nonprofit Humanities Foundation.

Within a few hours, ShelterNet not only had interviewed Lewis on the phone, but it also had paid her monthly rent.

Realizing that she would not face eviction after all, Lewis shed a few tears of happiness, drank a small toast and thought, "I'm safe."

For years, ShelterNet has provided modest, one-time cash grants to prevent people like Lewis from losing their homes. Those who created the program realized it's cheaper to keep someone in their home than to assist them once they've been turned out on the street.

But today, as the worsening economy causes demand for its service to spike, it's ShelterNet that could use a helping hand.

Doing more with less

ShelterNet was created in 1995, after a tragic fire on James Island killed several members of a large family and left the survivors homeless.

Since then, it has spent almost $1 million to help about 20,000 people keep current with their rent, security deposits or utility bills.

The average help from ShelterNet is only about $150, largely because its donation often is matched with money from churches and other charities, said Tracy Doran of the Humanities Foundation.

ShelterNet has been buoyed by state grants and community development block grants from Charleston and North Charleston, but those sources have diminished.

The program had to shut down briefly last year and was able to help only about one-third as many households as it did in 2005.

Doran said she wants to revive the program through private donations and help from college students.

Doran said she would like to reach out to families going through a foreclosure or homeless people such as the wheelchair-bound man who spent late December outside a Charleston homeless shelter, which was unable to serve him.

"There are more and more people who have already lost their home. They've already lost their car. One hundred and fifty dollars may not get them out of it," Doran said.

Falling through cracks

Not just anyone can request help from ShelterNet.

The nonprofit works through about 100 different referring agencies, which include churches, hospitals and charities.

Lewis' case was brought to its attention via Gloria Ricoma, manager of Grand Oak Apartments and about 188 other affordable apartment units across the Lowcountry.

Ricoma said ShelterNet has been able to provide help to about a half dozen of her tenants who, for whatever reason, had gotten in a bind.

"What happened to her (Lewis) can happen to a whole lot of people," said Ricoma, who knows how difficult it can be for some to cope with an unexpected doctor's visit or a spike in their electric bill.

"With seniors, it's month to month," Ricoma said. "If it weren't for ShelterNet, you would have more homeless."

Doran said she hopes that ShelterNet also will qualify for some federal stimulus dollars aimed at emergency housing help, but the program still needs the community's help.

"We are trying to take our ShelterNet program to a new level," she said. "Nobody really knows what's going to happen with this economy, but there are definitely going to be more people who fall through the cracks before it gets better."

SHRINKING SAFETY NET

ShelterNet was created 14 years ago to provide emergency financial help and prevent homelessness, but its state and federal support had dried in recent years, limiting its reach. To contact ShelterNet, call 856-4125.
Year — Households helped — Individuals helped — Amount
2008 — 194 — 448 — $28,794
2007 — 464 — 1,064 — $76,248
2006 — 455 — 1,038 — $73,663
2005 — 588 — 1,289 — $92,264

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or at rbehre@postandcourier.com