Youth crisis center Star House cuts ties with Ohio State
After more than a decade under the Ohio State University umbrella, the city’s only drop-in center for homeless youths is now on its own.
Star House began operating as an independent, nonprofit organization earlier this month. Supporters say the transition will allow the center in the Milo-Grogan neighborhood to become more nimble and to broaden its funding base as it serves an ever-increasing number of young people — nearly 1,000 came through the doors last year — who have no place to go.
“Maintaining a crisis youth center under an academic structure didn’t make sense anymore,” said Ann Bischoff, Star House CEO. “We can move at the speed of light, make quick decisions to empower our youth.”
Star House also expects to be open 24/7 after months of shutting down late at night.
“We’re beginning to hire for third shift now,” Bischoff said.
The unexpected evolution of Star House began with a federally funded research project by OSU professor Natasha Slesnick, who had moved to the area in 2004 and was surprised to discover that one of the biggest cities in the country still didn’t have a place for homeless youths to stop by for food, clothing, respite and other help.
She and others converted an old rental house east of campus to offer services and conduct research in 2006, then watched in amazement as the kids kept coming.
“We’ve grown so much,” Slesnick said.
A community fundraising campaign helped Star House move two years ago from the crowded, dilapidated house in the University District to a renovated center that is six times larger. Star House, which is not a shelter with beds, now has about 28 employees and a budget of roughly $1.6 million. It also receives funding from the city, county and state.
Ohio legislators recently approved $750,000 for Star House in each year of the biennial budget.
“That’s our foundational support,” Bischoff said.
OSU is maintaining two offices at Star House to continue research. A new relationship with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio is allowing employees to keep their public retirement and other comparable benefits, Bischoff said.
Starting next week, Columbus will be among five U.S. cities participating in a 100day challenge to speed up efforts to end youth homelessness. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered by the nonprofit organization A Way Home America.
Local youths are part of the delegation, “sharing first-hand knowledge of what it’s like on the streets,” Bischoff said.
Columbus badly needs more options for homeless teens and young adults, who typically are poor fits for adult shelters and who have few avenues to housing assistance.
“These kids are community-poor,” Bischoff said. “They need all of us.”