What's in a name?
SCAP now called Arbor Development
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

BATH - A non-profit organization that has been helping area residents with their housing needs for nearly 40 years has changed its name to reflect the evolution of its mission.

Steuben Churchpeople Against Poverty last week announced it has begun operating under the new name of Arbor Development. The organization remains based at 16 W. William Street in Bath.

Executive Director Jeff Eaton last week said the organization ceased being associated with area churches years ago and never operated under the auspices of a group of churches. Founded in 1969, it was called Steuben County Churchmen Against Poverty, with volunteers from several area churches offering their services to help homeowners with significant home repairs.

"There were (volunteers) affiliated with different churches, but we weren't sponsored by any denomination or church," Eaton said. "That's one of the reasons we changed the name. We've sort of outgrown SCAP."

The organization also had moved beyond Steuben County borders, Eaton said, and currently manages properties in five New York counties, including Allegany and Livingston.

Finally, he said, the organization has evolved to focus on specific housing opportunities, as opposed to general antipoverty issues. "While we're against poverty," he said. "we're not an anti-poverty organization. We're really about housing options."

"Building independence; creating housing options" will be a tagline for the name Arbor Development, Eaton noted.

Over the years, SCAP has pursued a wide variety of housing programs for low-tomoderate income families in western New York, as well for victims of domestic abuse.

It maintains a domestic abuse shelter in Bath, the location of which is confidential. More recently it initiated a building renovation program in the Village of Bath called the Bath Downtown Revitalization Initiative and a renovation program for owneroccupied houses in the Town of Bath.

Additionally, the organization owns and manages a number of properties and is developing housing complexes it either will own or manage.

According to Eaton, the non-profit conducted several focus group sessions before settling on the name Arbor Development. "The word 'Arbor' resonated with people concerned with safety, shelter and protection," he said. "'Development' is really about creating new things, growth."