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Resident services department expands programs and hires; Jobs Plus and ROSS emphasized
Summary
Deputy Executive Director Kathleen Glenn Matthews outlined the growth of CRHA’s resident services since 2021, citing new grants (Sentara, ROSS, AmeriCorps) and hires, increased FSS and a new Employment Opportunity Program funded by CDBG, and said the department’s primary focus for 2025 is relationship building and confidentiality training.
Kathleen Glenn Matthews, deputy executive director, presented a detailed account of the resident services department’s expansion on Jan. 27, saying the unit—created in 2021—has grown from two staff to a team that now includes a ROSS coordinator, a grants and development coordinator and AmeriCorps VISTA support.
Matthews listed grants and staffing milestones: a redevelopment coordinator (Brandon Collins) hired in October 2021 through a CACF grant, a resident-services assistant funded by a Sentara grant (March 2022), an FSS coordinator in March 2023, a ROSS coordinator (Ayanna Hall) in June 2024, and AmeriCorps VISTA placements (September 2024 and another planned for fall). She said the authority recently moved an economic opportunity program into resident services using CDBG funding and is pursuing an additional grant to fund a clinical social worker based at Crescent Halls to address substance abuse, mental health and domestic violence needs.
Matthews described program connections and capacity-building steps: resident service coordinators now provide site-based, entry-level case management (three site-based coordinators named Joy Johnson, Chanel Cowherd and Britney Gordon), a family metrics software system is being implemented for case tracking, and staff are developing culturally sensitive confidentiality and ethics trainings. She said the Jobs Plus program (currently focused on West Haven residents) and an employment opportunity coordinator are intended to link training to redevelopment opportunities and a Jobs Plus earned-income-disregard feature tied to a grant will allow some rent support as earnings increase.
Why it matters: The department’s staffing and grant progress could increase case-management capacity and connect residents to employment and wraparound services that support long-term housing stability. Board members welcomed the detail and asked for ongoing updates at work sessions.
