Members of The Bradley Company Board of Directors as well as representatives from The Bowen Center and the media took a tour Tuesday morning of the Saint Katharina Kasper Serenity Place permanent supportive housing project at 1804 W. Jefferson Street in Plymouth.
Brent Martin said the project is on schedule to be complete by the end of November. He relayed the current status of construction.
“The project is framed and enclosed and what’s called the ‘rough-in’ including all of the plumbing (check out my blog), electrical lines, heating and ventilating, ductwork and all of that is close to being wrapped up,” stated Martin. “In another week or two they will start dry walling and finishing, and come late November we should be done!”
The project was funded with support from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority in the amount of $1.7 million, along with $500,000 from the Federal Home Loan Bank in Indiana, $300,000 from the City of Plymouth, as well as various donors including from the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ and Lake City Bank, among others. The Bradley Company, which includes Garden Court, is overseeing operations.
Most recently, the Marshall County Community Corrections Advisory Board members approved $60,000 of funds in the Community Transition Fund to aid in the purchase of furnishings for the facility.
Martin added that there are 18 housing units in the facility. Four units are one bedroom apartments, four are three bedroom apartments, and 10 are two bedroom apartments. A playground will be built on the south side of the facility with secured fencing. There are common areas inside, as well as a laundry room, plus an office, therapy room, counseling room, and a conference room.
He stressed that a permanent supportive housing facility is for homeless families or individuals, or those threatened with homelessness.
“The theory about permanent supportive housing is that you’re bringing a lot of supportive services to the building. That’s why we have a therapy office and a big community room so that counseling and job training and therapy – all of those things can happen here because they don’t have transportation. Hopefully, over the course of a year to three years you break the cycle of homelessness.”
The interview process for applicants will begin 60 days prior to the completion of construction which will be conducted by The Bradley Company and The Bowen Center. Applicants will be scored accordingly for consideration.
A ceremony will be held following the completion of construction. If all falls within the current schedule, it could be held on a date close to the one-year anniversary of the ground breaking ceremony.
