Overview

OSC/One Step Closer, Inc.'s social services division allocates funding to Step by Step Transitional Living, Inc., a non profit organization, that provides services to its recipients through the Housing Development Program. The services provided are education, counseling, mentoring, support groups, and job assistance.

The Man With the Plan

In 2001, Les Boynton, President of OSC/One Step Closer, Inc., was managing an apartment complex in 2001 that was losing money due increasing narcotics traffic by its residents. The local police precinct nicknamed the complex "Tweaker Towers" for its numerous drug complaints. Believing there was something that could be done to remedy the situation, the One Step Closer program was developed to help people with substance and alcohol abuse by providing them with not only a place to live, but counseling to help build self-esteem, worth, and reliance.

A comprehensive, 12-step based, 90-day program was created where people are required to remain clean and sober at all times and obtain full-time employment. In turn, they are assigned an apartment, provided that they followed the program rules and utilized the vast resources available to them to aide in their addiction recovery.

By early 2002, OSC/One Step Closer, Inc. recognized that many of the people that successfully completed the One Step Closer program had no place to go once they graduated. They often face significant challenges in finding housing due to negative credit, prior convictions and judgments, or simply just not earning enough income to qualify under the standard rental criteria. Let's face it, people are judged by their credit and legal issues.

The few apartment complexes that would approve their application often charged exorbitant prices and/or were in high-crime areas. Due to the inability to find and afford safe, clean housing, some people quit the road to recovery and returned to drugs, the streets, and crime-creating a "revolving door syndrome." It was decided that in order to successfully complete the program, people must seamlessly integrate into society. One Step Closer's Rental Repair Program was born. The Rental Repair Program gave people the opportunity to break the "revolving door syndrome" by providing them with affordable, clean, and safe housing.

One Step Closer's Rental Repair Program allows people who experienced the above to enter our program. Through our 52-week program they benefit from:

• paying weekly or bi-weekly;
• provided with counseling and educational information.;
• job locating assistance;
• reestablishing their rental credit histories.

What began as a transitional housing program has blossomed into a leading organization, with over 40 rental properties, dedicated to identifying and helping those who are in need of a second chance.

Due to the rapid growth and success of the Rental Repair Program, OSC/One Step Closer, Inc.is looking into additional areas in which we can be of assistance, such as special car financing and home purchasing programs.