Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Supportive Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Thea Bowman supportive-housing partners report fewer in-building calls after safety measures and police patrols
Summary
Catholic Community Services and Thea Bowman staff told the council they are meeting monthly with Kent Police, have enacted a no-trespass ordinance, improved lighting and will add a security fence; early trends show fewer in-building 911 calls, and HealthPoint nurse visits have connected many residents to care.
Representatives of Catholic Community Services and Thea Bowman Apartments updated the Kent City Council July 15 on coordinated efforts to reduce emergency calls and improve safety at the permanent supportive-housing property.
Eileen McComb, director of supportive housing for Catholic Community Services’ Coordinated Care Agency (CCA), said Thea Bowman leadership meets monthly with Kent Police — first with Officer Barry and now led by Officer Cortinez — to review call-volume data and develop interventions. McComb said the team has enacted a no-trespass ordinance at the site, upgraded exterior lighting and plans to install a security fence to deter vehicular loitering.
“We are trending toward fewer calls to issues inside the building, with the goal of having fewer calls to the neighborhood overall,” McComb said. She told the council the increased police-initiated patrols have been “tremendously appreciated” by staff and residents and have helped address suspected illegal activity in undeveloped lots and an adjacent encampment.
Todd Sherman, program director at Thea Bowman, described the facility’s operations and outreach. He said Thea Bowman has 69 studio and 11 one-bedroom apartments; 35 units are set aside for military veterans who were homeless or chronically homeless at application and the remaining units serve disabled, chronically homeless adults. The facility provides 24/7 staffing and on-site services including case management and visiting medical and mental-health partners.
Sherman highlighted HealthPoint nursing activity at the site between January and June 2025: 177 nurse visits connected to 53 individual clients, 26 clients linked to medical care beyond on-site nursing, two connected to mental-health services and 11 enrolled in substance-use treatment. “Thea Bowman is more than a building. It is a community,” Sherman said.
McComb said the collaborative meeting that would have provided freshest data had been rescheduled; she intends to return to a future council meeting to present updated trends.
The speakers asked the council to note the collaboration and did not request specific council action at this meeting.
