CINCINNATI — A dark brown leather couch with its lived-in comfort and family memories embedded in every crease bears the unmistakable marks of a life well-lived. It sits in the living room, as the centerpiece of something bigger than itself.
It's where Jeno Shanklin Jr. hopes will serve as more than just furniture – it's a piece of family history anchoring his mission to get people off Cincinnati's streets. Shanklin wants to provide men who've been sleeping on the streets or in cars with a place to live.
"These couches were my grandfather's," Shanklin told us, pointing his hand in the direction of the leather. "So [it's] really cool to have a piece of him in something I'm passionate about."
Shanklin says he saw Cincinnati's homelessness crisis and decided to do something about it with his own money and time.
Shanklin opened his wallet and his heart, funding the Safe Haven of Healing Group Home in Roselawn with over $25,000 in startup costs, funded by his personal contributions and private donations. The home can house six men, specifically serving those battling mental health issues and addiction.
"Although it is something that I am passionate about, I understand that there is a need for it," Shanklin said.
WATCH: We sit down with Shanklin to hear more about his inspiration behind the group home
Among Ohio's biggest cities, Cincinnati saw the largest year-over-year jump in homelessness, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Many of those individuals experiencing homelessness have a mental health issue or co-occurring substance use disorder.
"Some of these people out here (don't) know when they'll get their next meal, when they're going to be able to sleep comfortably," Shanklin said. "So this is a model that provides that environment for those individuals, those who seek help and need those resources."
His approach is deliberately intimate and focused – the intentional opposite of the bigger facilities that Shanklin said he believes can lose their authenticity.
"I could really be hands-on for a really long time. A lot of owners, I feel, once they get to a certain point, you know, they kind of lose touch with what's going on day to day. I know that this was a business that (wouldn't) be too overwhelming for me, and I knew that it was something that I could be here for and run day-to-day operations," Shanklin said.
For Shanklin, stability includes three meals a day, transportation, connections to therapists and more. He said he will be on site daily, available around the clock for residents.
"Stability nurtures mental health," Shanklin said. "I feel like young men and young women, a lot of the (time), they get into a lot of trouble that they do due to lack of stability."
For some, group homes carry negative connotations that Shanklin said he knows he'll do more than overcome.
We asked Shanklin what would make his group home break past that stigma.
"Just the compassion that I lead with. The genuineness that I lead with," Shanklin said. "These will ultimately be my family members in my eyes. They will be treated as such."
Shanklin is having a grand opening from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 10.
