EHA renovating old safe house for the homeless
Evansville's old safe house is being renovated into housing for the homeless. The Evansville Housing Authority bought the vacant structure.
The structure has sat vacant since 2006, which means crews have a tough job ahead of them. The EHA tells 14 News that they have a vision for this building, and say the completed project will be the first of it's kind in Evansville.
It's referred to as Vision 1505, and when it's all said and done, the EHA says this building will function as a permanent supportive housing development for homeless families.
"There will be 32 apartments with up to three bedrooms," says Executive Director Rick Moore.
Dir. of Development Tim Martin says this project is a permanent situation.
"This is a permanent development. We do not require they move at any time. They do have the ability to take advantage of the services we'll provide, help them in education, and just basically overcoming the hurdles they've had that led to them becoming homeless."
What sets this project apart, Martin says, is the supportive services that come with the housing.
"There will be the ability to have case management, social services, and it's really contingent upon what that person needs. Our intent is to help the tenant become self-sufficient and be able to, if they choose, re-integrate back into society."
Martin says traditional homeless shelters are driven towards a single individual.
"You find some homeless developments that deal with females with children, but not that bring the whole family together," says Martin.
He says based on statistics, there are over 400 homeless families in Evansville at any given time.
"A lot of these are couch surfers. They live with other people or with family members. They send the children out to other places to live. This will bring that family back together."
Construction is estimated to take 12-16 months. Anyone interested in the project can contact the Evansville Housing Authority at 812-428-8500.
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