Falmouth Homeowner Leases House for Homeless

Housing Assistance CorporationFALMOUTH – An effort in Falmouth to house the homeless during the winter months continues to evolve.

A collaboration started last year between Housing Assistance Corporation and the faith-based group of Falmouth churches Belonging to Each Other, which is led by St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, to place homeless individuals in motel rooms.

The program placed 13 individuals in safe, warm housing Thursday. Four of those homeless individuals will be staying in a home this winter.

Falmouth homeowner Jim Comkowycz agreed to lease his home to HAC.

“We have two bedrooms and we have put two twin beds in each so we’ll be able to house four people,” Comkowycz said. “There is also two living rooms and two bathrooms in the house. So it’ll give them a little more space. It’ll give them more privacy.”

Comkowycz hopes his home can be used as a model.

“With all the vacant houses during the winter that Cape Cod has because of the unique nature of the rental market and the housing market here that it could be duplicated quite easily in other towns on the Cape.”

Last year the program housed 21 homeless individuals in motel rooms, which Alan Burt, who oversees the program, said is quite expensive.

“We’re hoping to find another house so hopefully somebody who lives in the Falmouth area that might have a winter rental available might be interested in renting the house to us,” Burt said. “We can pay the rent.”

Individuals in the program will be housed through March 31. During that time, case workers from HAC will be working with the clients to find them permanent housing.

The program is made possible through the support of volunteers with Belonging to Each Other and St. Barnabas, who provide food, mentoring and transportation to the clients.

The town of Falmouth Human Services department awarded $9,000 to the program earlier this fall.

By BRIAN MERCHANT, CapeCod.com NewsCenter

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