There is no quick and easy fix for the economic recession—we will be seeing many more people fall victim to financial distress and the eroding housing market that might well be the root of this crisis. It’s in these uneasy times that we most need the help of someone like Rosemary Dehlow, the Long Island director of Community Housing Innovations, Inc. (CHI), a Patchogue-based nonprofit that provides those in need with housing and human services in five counties including Nassau, Suffolk, Dutchess, Ulster and Westchester.

Rosemary, who lives in Bay Shore, supervises a staff of 120, overseeing the development and maintenance of housing programs in both Nassau and Suffolk. CHI offers programs that are comprised of transitional and emergency housing, support housing that includes apartment buildings and single family homes and affordable rental units. CHI assisted more than 300 individuals and families in 2008 and Rosemary says that right now all of their housing is full, adding, “Plain and simple, there is no affordable rental housing on Long Island.”

CHI does not just place people in emergency housing, they also help develop housing projects and they own and manage nearly 500 housing units in total. They are also a large provider of down-payment and closing cost assistance to first time home buyers and since 1997 have granted $8 million to help 350 families realize their dream of home ownership.

It’s a well-known fact that one of Long Island’s greatest societal challenges is affordable housing and because of the severe shortage, along with the erosion of the job market, many more of our residents will be facing foreclosure or eviction and will ultimately become homeless. The face of homelessness has changed dramatically in recent years and the image of the stereotypical vagrant no longer applies. Thousands of these people are classified as “working poor” and are the backbone of many businesses here including clerical, retail and maintenance workers.

“There are a lot of reasons why someone can become homeless,” Rosemary says. “It could include health-related issues, domestic violence and unemployment.” However, the problem is usually invisible until it affects you or someone you know.

It is Rosemary’s job to help her clients achieve both social and economic independence at the lowest cost to the taxpayer. Children are her top priority.

“Our biggest concern,” Rosemary says, “is their education.” She ensures that children will continue to attend their schools and that they are provided with as much stability in their lives as possible.

“Homelessness is really a women’s issue,” Rosemary explains. Ninety-five percent of homeless people are female, she says. She believes that women bought into “the two-income trap” and became dependent on a second income and if that income is lost, they cannot afford to pay for housing and childcare on their own. Rosemary is a mentor to many single mothers who are trying to make ends meet while working and taking care of their children.

Rosemary says that she has always been an advocate for those in need. “I stand up for people and I have a lot of determination. Injustice really pisses me off,” she says. “I can’t tolerate it.”

Rosemary’s love and compassion for all people has enabled her to help thousands of Long Islanders in crisis. “I have always been one to speak for those who can’t speak for themselves,” she says.

For more information go to www.chigrants.org or call 631-475-6390

If you know a super woman who deserves good Fortune—and a profile—e-mail your nominations to Beverly at bfortune@longislandpress.com.