St. Mary Development Receives CORES Designation; Ministers to Older People During COVID Pandemic

DAYTON, Ohio, May 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Mary Development Corporation has become a Certified Organization for Resident Engagement & Services (CORES), one of only 18 organizations nationally with the designation. The CORES program recognizes organizations with a robust commitment, capacity and competency in providing resident services coordination in affordable rental housing. CORES is a program of Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future.

St. Mary, a Dayton, Ohio, faith-based non-profit with a focus on affordable apartment communities with service coordination, has served the needs of older people for 30 years. Their residents have an average income of just more than $13,000 per year and often struggle with negative social determinants of health such as lack of access to food, healthcare and transportation. St. Mary's Service Coordination program connects residents to programs that allow them to continue living independently—something that is good for both the residents and Ohio taxpayers.

An economic impact study by the Greater Ohio Policy Center showed that St. Mary's Service Coordination programs saved Ohio taxpayers more than $38 million over a five-year period by keeping older people independent and out of nursing homes. In Ohio, research has shown that taxpayers save $4,469 every month a low-income older adult continues living independently. Other research has suggested the average length of stay for an elderly resident in independent living was six months longer for residents in properties with service coordination (which is likely a conservative estimate) compared to residents in properties with no service coordination. St. Mary provided service coordination to 1,422 unique residents over the five-year period of 2014 to 2018, saving taxpayers a staggering $38 million or more than $7.5 million per year.

"Our Service Coordination program has been especially important during the COVID crisis," says Natalynne Baker, St. Mary's Vice President of Resident Services. "Our residents often don't have family members to look after them. With our partners, we've been delivering food boxes to the doors of our residents as well as regularly talking with them on the telephone. When they need help connecting to healthcare services, finding transportation or any other issue, we're here to assist them."

St. Mary partners with more than a hundred social services, real estate, healthcare and technology organizations to serve their residents. Potential partners can contact Cathy Campbell, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, using the links below.

• Housing partners
• Healthcare & Services partners
• Technology partners
• Community & funding partners

SOURCE St. Mary Development Corporation

Related Links

http://www.StMaryDevelopment.org