Licking County Coalition for Housing announces founding director Deb Tegtmeyer's retirement
NEWARK − Homelessness gets attention during extreme weather conditions, when people without a place to stay are visible on the Courthouse Square or a camp is spotted near a home or business.
Deb Tegtmeyer, however, has been focused on homelessness every day of her life for more than 30 years, before the founding of the Licking County Coalition for Housing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing housing challenges through collaborative efforts.
Tegtmeyer, the organization's founding executive director will retire June 30, when Trina Woods, managing director, becomes interim executive director.
Tegtmeyer started leading the housing coalition in 1993 but began her work on homelessness earlier, while working for the city of Newark.
“Bill Moore was the mayor, and he hired me to do a housing plan to start getting a handle on homelessness in the city of Newark," Tegtmeyer said. “I was working with the city of Newark in community development. During the course of doing that housing plan, we identified more homeless in the community than we realized. The county and city had home repair programs, but nothing for homeless."
Emergency housing back then consisted of six beds at the Salvation Army and New Beginnings domestic violence shelter had a house with three bedrooms. “That was all that was going on," Tegetmeyer said.
Tegtmeyer put a proposal together, gathered pledges of local support and flew to Washington to deliver the first continuum of care application to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The proposal led to founding the coalition in 1993, with Tegtmeyer moving into the new leadership role. The city of Newark and the Licking County Commissioners split the cost to lease four units offered by a local landlord on the second floor of a downtown office building.
“It was a start," Tegtmeyer said. "At the time it was a very fledgling, grass roots effort to get it off the ground. We found property owners willing to work with us, and we still do."
Jeff Gill, a board member of the housing coalition who was involved in its creation, said Tegtmeyer provided the stability the organization needed ever since its founding.
“It certainly was a big moment for the county,” Gill said of the beginning. “None of us had any idea what it would become.
“Deb shows up and gets the work done,” Gill said. “Consistency — that’s so big. It’s not flashy, but how you get stuff accomplished. I hate the idea of losing her.”
The housing coalition's budget grew from $25,000 to more than $4.5 million annually to serve residents of Licking County. The coalition's housing portfolio grew from five to 43 units, including 19 acquired properties, growing the staff from one part-time worker to 26 full-time and three part-time employees.
Since 1997, Tegtmeyer has been part of the Licking County Job and Family Services Planning Committee. The housing coalition initiated numerous housing programs catering to homeless families, adults and low- to moderate-income households seeking homeownership, including spearheading the local HUD Continuum of Care Planning.
Throughout the decades, there has been one consistent refrain.
“The biggest challenge is finding housing units of decent quality that people can afford to live in," Tegtmeyer said. "It’s even more of a problem because housing costs have skyrocketed. We need to create permanent housing for people also and need additional emergency shelter beds. If you want to do economic development, you have to have the housing to go with it.”
Tegtmeyer said a lot of work remains, but she’s proud of the job the coalition has done the past three decades. Seeing residents thrilled to have a home makes it all worthwhile, she said.
“That keeps all of us on the team going every day,” Tegtmeyer said. “To have the capacity to live the life they were dreaming of. I’m really proud of the team of people willing to work for LCCH over the years. Fantastic staff and fantastic board members.”
Some staff members of the housing coalition were once homeless themselves.
“They have proven to me giving people a second chance is absolutely worth it,” Tegtmeyer said.
A Granville High School graduate, Tegtmeyer attended Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
“What I wanted to do was not at all what I ended up doing,” Tegtmeyer said. “I was interested in environmental work.”
She worked for Ohio EPA and Ohio Department of Development, obtaining certifications in economic and housing development finance. She then served the city of Newark in various capacities while contributing to the Ohio Conference of Community Development board of directors.
She credits her family for the support she needed during her career. Her retirement plans are a little unclear, she said, but there will be something else.
“I need a sense of purpose, so I’ll continue to do something, and I’ll help with the transition past June 30," Tegtmeyer said.
Michelle Newman, coalition board member and secretary, said the foundation Tegtmeyer has built will help the organization build on what is in place already.
"Deb has put in so much tireless energy through LCCH, Rotary, several boards, I'm so excited for her to take a break and breathe a little bit," Newman said.
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County Coalition for Housing's founding director to retire
