News
Transitional Housing Comes to Goshen This Summer
Posted: 05/04/2004
GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen Housing Authority and Ancon Construction have joined forces to create a transitional housing facility at 1101 Lincoln Ave. A second level is being added to a former nursing home to bring the building to 14,000 square feet. Dubbed Lincoln Avenue Apartments, the facility will have nine residential units with one to three bedrooms each, and will include recreational and life-skill training areas. The project is schedule for completion in August.
“Part of what we do is plan for the housing needs of low-income families,” said Bob Brenneman, GHA executive director. “During our planning four years ago, it became clear that this project needed to be a high priority for our community.” The facility has been on the drawing board ever since, and became a reality with the $470,000 in grant funds that came through last June. At this time, 40 families and individuals are on the waiting list.
According to Brenneman, these six areas of assistance will be emphasized.
To help strengthen the family system, the facility will provide a variety of services, such as child care and an after-school program that teaches kids how to schedule homework time, and counseling that helps develop interpersonal relationships within the family.
Nutritional information will be provided, with a large kitchen where training sessions will be held to teach adults how to efficiently prepare healthy meals at reasonable prices.
The facility will promote health awareness, and will encourage families to contact a primary physician to avoid using emergency healthcare systems for regular medical care.
Financial literacy will be taught by LaCasa of Goshen, covering topics such as saving money, renting a residence, and paying bills.
The facility hopes to build a sense of community by giving residents a stake in the management of the apartments through discipline and reward systems.
Finally, vocational skills and workplace etiquette will be taught on-site.
“Some of these job skills are rudimentary, like dependability and a good work ethic,” Brenneman stated. “It’s basic stuff for most of us, but it’s not always understood by this group of people.” He hopes to provide residents with opportunities for jobs and schooling during their stay, which can be anywhere from six months to two years.
This facility will be staffed by both paid employees and volunteers. “We’re hoping to pick up some students that have an interest in after-school teaching,” said Brenneman. “The child care program is a great asset. Through this, we hope to encourage families to read with their children. We think that’s a big influence in turning on the education light.”
Creating this transitional housing site will allow the GHA and others help more people, Brenneman said. “I think this will give us an ability to work more intensely with a greater number of families,” he explained. “It’ll also give additional exposure to the needs of low-income families and people that are struggling to get by.”
The construction has gone smoothly so far. “Ancon has gone through our design phases with us from the beginning. We’ve had a really good relationship with them,” said Brenneman. “They've been very attentive to what our needs are, and has helped us to accomplish everything within our budget constraints.”
Members of the community who wish to make donations or volunteer at Lincoln Avenue Apartments can call the Goshen Housing Authority at 574-553-9925 and speak to Brenneman or to Bonnie Westfall. They can also be reached by e-mail at bobbrenneman@goshencity.com.
