OppHouseFAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How big will the new facility be?
Why do you need so much space?
How many youth will be served in the new facility?
Why have you chosen this location?
What’s to keep Daybreak youth from roaming the neighborhood?
Won’t Daybreak’s move to South Patterson Boulevard be bad for the City of Dayton?
Why do you need so many employees?
What are you going to do with your current shelter building?
Why is there an emphasis on older youth in your new building?
Is this new direction of serving older youth consistent with the Daybreak mission?
Will Daybreak continue to serve younger youth?
How will Daybreak afford the additional expenses associated with the larger facility?
Does my capital campaign gift affect my annual gift?
Why is this campaign needed now?
How may I make my gift to the campaign?

How big will the new facility be?

Opportunity House will provide approximately 50,000 square feet of
renovated space. It will also include two rooftop recreational areas for
the estimated 40 youth living in the building. One of the rooftop areas
will include a “tot lot” for the babies and toddlers of the young parents
enrolled in Daybreak’s Independent Living (IL) program.

Why do you need so much space?

Twenty-four new efficiency apartments will account for approximately one-third of the space. Opportunity House will also hold Daybreak’s emergency shelter. It will be fully handicapped accessible and have adequate bath/shower facilities. It will also house a counseling center and a full-service activity center. Finally, the new space will enable us to bring all Daybreak programs and staff under one roof for greater cost-effectiveness and efficiency of operation.

How many youth will be served in the new facility?

More than 500 per year. With increased capacity and greater flexibility in the shelter, the addition of 24 efficiency apartments, and an enhanced street outreach program, we will be able to provide shelter, housing and support services to more youth than ever before.

When multiplied by a number of years, the result is a huge impact in the community for years to come.

Why have you chosen this location?

As the only agency of its kind in the Miami Valley, Daybreak needs to be centrally located. This site is ideal because it is on bus lines, is close to Sinclair Community College and other educational services, provides easy access to the Job Center, and is easy for youth to find.

What’s to keep Daybreak youth from roaming the neighborhood?

Daybreak has strict rules for youth in the program. Minors residing in emergency shelter are under constant supervision even while participating in recreational activities on Daybreak property.

Youth enrolled in Daybreak’s Independent Living program also have strict rules and curfews. Even more effective is the fact that they have seen the horrors of homelessness and are determined to make better lives for themselves. For the first time in their young lives, they see a future for themselves and have demonstrated, time and time again, that they are committed to those futures.

The residential units are staffed 24 hours a day and the operating budget for the new facility includes security personal to cover evening and weekend hours. Opportunity House will also have a state-of-the-art security system, including outside lights and cameras.

Won’t Daybreak’s move to South Patterson Boulevard bad for the City of Dayton?

No. Daybreak purchased a blighted building. The outside presents an unattractive industrial façade and the interior is in need of major renovation. Opportunity House will create a safe place for youth while improving the landscape of the city. Additionally, Daybreak’s 50+ employees will be located in the City of Dayton.

Why do you need so many employees?

We staff the shelter and Independent Living programs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing security and supervision for our youth.

We also operate outreach and prevention programs in the community.

What are you going to do with your current shelter building?

In all likelihood, we will sell the existing buildings. We have enjoyed a positive relationship with the surrounding neighborhood during our years at the Wayne Avenue facility and will continue to be sensitive to our neighbors’ needs when seeking a buyer.

Why is there an emphasis on older youth in your new building?

The child welfare system’s success in stabilizing families has resulted in fewer younger children needing emergency shelter. This of course is great news.

But, 18-year-olds are legally adults and not protected by child welfare. Over the past few years, we have seen increasing numbers of older teens cast adrift without support or the life skills they need to make it on their own. These children become the homeless adults of tomorrow, unless we intervene to break the cycle.

Is this new direction of serving older youth consistent with the Daybreak mission?

Absolutely! Our mission is to eliminate youth homelessness in the Miami Valley through comprehensive and results-oriented programs that provide safety and stability for runaway, troubled, and homeless youth, ages 10 to 21.

Likewise, Daybreak’s outreach and prevention programs will continue to provide age-appropriate services for youth between the ages of 10 and 21.

Will Daybreak continue to serve younger youth?

Yes! In fact, the new shelter is designed to enable us to provide a safer shelter environment for varying combinations of ages and genders.

Likewise, Daybreak’s outreach and prevention programs will continue to provide age-appropriate services for youth between the ages of 10 and 21.

How will Daybreak afford the additional expenses associated with the larger facility?

Daybreak secured a three-year, renewable operating grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to pay for the facility costs associated with the new IL apartments and expanded program space—approximately 60 percent of the building.

The funds currently being used to maintain Daybreak’s three properties on Wayne Avenue and leased office space on South Dixie Drive will be used to cover the remaining 40 percent of the new facility costs.

Does my capital campaign gift affect my annual gift?

No. Your capital gift is a one-time contribution to the building fund. We hope we can continue to count on your annual support for our programs.

Why is this campaign needed now?

Every year, Daybreak receives calls from hundreds of youth in need of shelter, stable housing, and other support services. They are in crisis, and Daybreak is their only safety net. The longer we operate at an inadequate capacity, the more young people will fall through the cracks into a life of homelessness, crime, and emotional instability.