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No way out of closing for rundown halfway house

By EILEEN SCHULTE
Published March 29, 2007

CLEARWATER - At exactly 3 p.m. Wednesday, the city put a padlock on Papa Steve's dream.

Citing a list of fire and building code violations - including padlocked exit doors, exposed wiring and a malfunctioning fire alarm system - officials shut down the dilapidated halfway house Steve Kautz's nonprofit organization runs to help men overcome drug and alcohol addictions.

"Our top priority is safety, and this was not a safe place for people to live," said Elizabeth Daly, a spokeswoman for Clearwater Fire and Rescue. The 16-unit facility at 504 Seminole St. was first inspected about 48 hours earlier.

The 26 men who lived at the short-term housing facility all had to quickly find a new place to stay. Some went to Everybody's Tabernacle, a homeless shelter, and some went to other facilities.

Papa Steve, as his residents call him, took two of the men to his home in Safety Harbor.

About 2 p.m., as the last few residents packed up, Kautz broke into tears and hugged Mark Sampson, the organization's head manager.

Kautz said his organization's shoestring budget can't afford the $120,000 to $160,000 it would cost to bring the place up to code. He said he hopes to see it somehow "rise from the ashes."

The nonprofit, This House Inc., has helped 1,300 men in the past decade, he said.

Sobbing on Sampson's shoulder, Kautz said, "I'm supposed to be strong."

* * *

Ten years ago - a decade after freeing himself from drug addiction - Kautz, 64, said he and his wife, Pam, bought the 6,000-square-foot house to begin the nonprofit and give people a chance at freedom from substance addiction.

It was designed for addicts who require lots of structure to get their lives back on track.

Kautz said Wednesday he was once such an addict and spent 16 years behind bars in jails and prisons "for stupid stuff" such as drug possession.

"Some people come from Yale, some come from jail," Kautz said.

The nonprofit required residents to obey an 11 p.m. curfew, perform assigned chores and attend mandatory addiction recovery meetings. They were also required to obtain a job within a week of arriving at This House and contribute $25 a day from their salaries. Residents routinely stayed for three to six months.

The nonprofit, which also runs three "three-quarter houses" for those who don't need as much structure, appears to operate on a slim budget. According to its 2005 IRS filing, it took in $102,120 and ran a $4,011 deficit, leaving it with a net of $467. The group has no paid employees, but had four managers at the Seminole Street house who received room and board. Two also receive a $50 weekly stipend.

Kautz, who works as a carpenter and a maintenance man, said he and his wife, who is employed at Head Start, spend about $30,000 of their own money annually to keep the program going.

* * *

One of his success stories is Ed Withee, 42, a crack cocaine and alcohol addict who spent three months at the Seminole Street house and now lives at one of the organization's three-quarter houses.

"Before I came here, there was nobody that wanted anything to do with me," he said. "I had suicidal thoughts. Cocaine took over my life; it beat me down hard. This house gave me a place to get in touch with me, to find me. And I know there's a lot more 'mes' out there, and this place won't be there for them."

He said it was Papa Steve's unconditional love that saved him.

"I wanted to be here for the last day," Withee said, his eyes filling with tears. "This house gave me a new life. I can never repay that and they don't ask me to."

Fast Facts:

Code violations

Earlier this week, Clearwater Fire and Rescue Department cited the property owned by This House Inc. at 504 Seminole St. for numerous code violations, including:

- Exit doors were padlocked shut.

- Beds blocked the doors of some units.

- Furniture was stored in exit corridors.

- Fire alarm system was out of service.

- Expired fire extinguishers

- Cooking equipment didn't meet code.

- Electrical problems, including exposed wires

- Laundry area didn't meet code.

- No sprinkler system

- Inoperable exit signs

[Last modified March 28, 2007, 23:27:10]