Community Fortress makes changes, hopes for partnership that allows for future growth

FREMONT — Community Fortress Director Brandy Kreider knows there's a delicate balance between serving the city's homeless population's needs, helping them find housing if possible and protecting the safety of her staff and the neighboring downtown community.

With a series of recent rule changes put in place at the shelter after a lengthy meeting with Mayor Danny Sanchez and Safety Service Director Kenneth Frost, Kreider is confident Community Fortress is on the right track in addressing those issues after a rough patch this summer.

"We all agree we want to do what's right for the community," Kreider said.

The shelter, which opened in 2019, agreed to reduce its amount of available beds from 22 to eight.

It opened up its downstairs area and made it available to guests 24 hours a day.

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New rules, requirements are in place

Kreider, said, effective Sept. 1, the shelter began requiring guests to have documents indicating they are from or work in Sandusky County.

Community Fortress also is implementing random drug screening, background checks and has partnered with Beacon Behavioral Health Services to provide case managers Monday-Friday for its guests, Kreider said.

All guests are on a case plan that documents personal and life issues they're working on, challenges they're facing and what agencies they've contacted to help them with their struggles.

"That gives us some sort of structure here," Kreider said. "We want to be in the business of making this a bump in the road, not a way of life."

The shelter's rule changes came in the same week Sanchez told city council members a recent influx of homeless people being brought into Fremont from other cities had caused a strain on resources and ability to deal with the issue.

Sanchez and Kreider spoke at the council's Sept. 16 meeting, with the mayor noting some of the homeless-related law enforcement issues he mentioned earlier in the month, like allegations of illegal drug use, inappropriate behavior in certain parts of the city and homeless people being dropped off from other cities, had been reduced with the new shelter rule changes.

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Shelter was dealing with drop-offs, surge in guests

Kreider said Friday the shelter, prior to the rule changes, was having people randomly dropped off at its door steps from as far away as Lorain County, with one guest from there coming from a psychiatric unit.

She said the word got out that Community Fortress wasn't doing background checks, leading to a surge in guests with mental health and addiction issues that compromised the safety of staff and led to some of the behavior complaints around the city.

The need for affordable housing in Fremont is high, Kreider said, as well as the need for mental health housing.

"We all know how hard housing is to get right now. Mental health housing is impossible to find around here," Kreider said.

Kreider is the only salaried staff member at Community Fortress, aided by three hourly staff members that each work about a couple of days a week.

A group of board members volunteer on the weekends, she said.

Talking with New Housing Ohio, looking toward future

Community Fortress has had preliminary discussions with New Housing Ohio Inc. about a possible partnership.

The Cincinnati-based nonprofit organization, with an office in Tiffin, is described on its website as a developer, owner, and manager of specialized housing, primarily serving the mentally ill, developmentally disabled, substance users, and homeless populations.

Kreider said the company has 53 facilities in Ohio, including seven in Tiffin.

If the shelter enters into a partnership with New Housing Ohio or another company, Kreider hopes that will result in the hiring of more staff, increase the ability of Community Fortress to house more guests in transitional housing and overall boost the amount of resources available to its guests.

dacarson@gannett.com

419-334-1046

Twitter:@DanielCarson7