Proponents of a permanent supportive housing facility in Plymouth came before Marshall County Council members last Tuesday with a request for funding assistance.
Representatives of Garden Court, Inc informed county officials that this multi-family housing project will be constructed on a Jefferson Street property currently owned by Ancilla College.
The housing project is intended to provide a stable living environment for individuals in the community who currently do not have one, such as people living out of motels, in their cars or “couch surfers” who venture from place to place without a home to call their own.
While the facility will be centrally located in Plymouth, this project is being framed as a place where all Marshall County residents could find a safe haven.
A similar funding request was presented to the Plymouth City Council back in August. At that time, one of the city officials asked if any other governmental units had been asked to commit to the project since it was described as a county-wide initiative. Since they had not, representatives chose to approach the county first and asked for a $50,000 donation.
It was mentioned that as more external donations come in, the county’s commitment could decrease.
Organization representatives noted that their main target will be families with children where single women are serving as the head of their household but others will also be welcomed into the facility. Residents would be brought in on a referral basis and rent would be subsidized based on income.
While many factors can lead to homelessness, a major one is substance abuse. The Garden Court facility was compared to a rehabilitation center because will provide a place for people to get clean and give them convenient access to necessary services.
However, it was noted that it will be different because, unlike transitional housing where a person may go through a program for a designated amount of time, residents could live here for as long as they need to and a history of substance abuse will not be a requirement.
Prior to adjournment, council members weighed in on the matter a bit more. There was consensus that while it is a valid cause they didn’t feel comfortable committing funds to it at this time. Councilman Jon Van Vactor mentioned that during the budget process they made a lot of cuts and there were certain requests for less than $50,000 and they had to deny those requests.
They also highlighted the fact that there are a lot of expenditures coming down the line with potential Stellar projects, needed roadwork and the proposed jail expansion project to deal with the growing inmate population.
Councilwoman Penny Lukenbill noted that there are a lot unmet needs and while it’s difficult to prioritize, the council members have to be mindful about where funds are coming from and where they’re going since they as stewards of the county’s money. No official action was taken last Tuesday and council members may revisit the subject at future meetings.
