Single Mother’s Housing Preserved

Thanks to quick thinking and collaboration across jurisdictions, a Darke County mother has been able to keep a roof over her family’s head.

Homelessness Prevention funds are available to Ohio counties but Darke County has not had access to those funds in recent years. That didn’t stop Darke County Director Megan Campbell from networking to solve a serious need in real time.

A mother and her four children were on the brink of losing their housing. They had been served a notice to vacate, and her home was scheduled to be torn down.

As the rest of the homes around her were legitimately being torn down and leveled, her anxiety and worry grew. Without timely support, the next step for this family would have been experiencing the very real instability that comes with homelessness.

Instead, something different happened.

Through collaboration with the Family Abuse Shelter of Miami County – the managing delegate for the Homeless Prevention funds for the region which includes Darke County – , the MVCAP team was able to come together quickly to identify a solution. By working across County lines and pooling resources, they were able to utilize homeless prevention funding from Miami County to stabilize this family before the crisis intensified.

“Moments like this are a powerful reminder that prevention matters,” Campbell said. “When communities work together and resources are used at the right time, we can change the trajectory of a family’s story.”

Campbell said the story also reignited her desire to make sure Homeless Prevention funds return to Darke County in 2027.

“After five years, these critical funds were finally put to use in exactly the way they were intended: helping a family stay safely housed and giving five people the chance to move forward with stability and hope,” she said.