MANSFIELD — A decision has yet to be reached regarding the future of Volunteers of America’s residential re-entry program for women, according to Communications Manager Stephanie Aubill.
One thing is certain: it can no longer operate at its current location, 280 N. Main St., because of a deed restriction violation.
According to a declaration of covenants and restrictions made Dec. 26, 2012, the building at 280 N. Main St. (along with eight other parcels owned by the VOA), cannot be used as a correctional facility at any time.
“Correctional facilities include, but are not limited to alternative residential facilities, community based correctional facilities, halfway houses, and community correctional facilities,” the declaration reads.
The halfway house opened last fall; however, city officials were unaware of this until recently.
According to Mayor Tim Theaker, VOA officials did not go through the city’s codes and permits department before opening.
The VOA did, however, approach the Richland County commissioners and Common Pleas Court judges for letters of support for program funding from the state.
Judge Brent Robinson, who signed a letter of support, said the VOA representatives did not proclaim to have the city’s support for the program, nor did they mention anything about the deed restriction.
“If I was aware of that I probably would have said, ‘You need to get your ducks in a row over there first before you open,'” he said. “I wouldn’t have told them to open it without talking to the city first. I was unaware that there were any issues.
“I think there is a need for it (the program), but I also think that if they didn’t go about it the right way with the city then that’s a problem, too.”
Theaker sees the value in services such as the VOA’s halfway house.
“All I’m trying to do is go by the letter of the law,” he said.
City officials conducted an inspection of 280 N. Main St. last week to see if the building was up to code.
“If it was not up to code, or if there were some issues, we would have had to shut them down almost immediately,” Theaker said.
Based on the inspection, no major issues were found, he said.
The next step is for the law department to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the VOA.
Theaker said the city is trying to be reasonable with amount of time given to the VOA before it must shut down its program at that location, hoping the process will be done in an “efficient” and “expedient” manner.
According to Aubill, the program serves 33 women. VOA leadership has yet to determine what’s next for these women.
“We’re exploring all of our options,” she said. “That could include maybe another building or location around Mansfield, or it could mean the women will be sent to other programs across the state.”
Other residential re-entry programs that the VOA operates are in Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo.
“About half the women in the (Mansfield) program are from the Mansfield area,” she said. “One of the last things we want to do is rip them from their community and families and send them to the other side of the state.”
The other half are from surrounding counties, she said.
“The reason for that is a lot of our surrounding counties don’t have re-entry programs.”
VOA leadership is also considering the future of the food pantry that is housed at 280 N. Main St.
Aubill called the pantry a “staple” in the community that serves thousands of people every year and has been in existence for the past several years.
