Zion Evangelical United Church of Christ sold the more than 2,500 square foot home near the YMCA downtown for $1 to United Caring Services, which shelters, and helps transition people from homelessness.
On Friday, they symbolically cut the ribbon and passed the keys, kicking off a big project that will eventually house five men transitioning out of homelessness and through United Caring Services’ (UCS) program.
Stephanie Weiner is UCS president of the Board.
“We have transitional housing and our main shelter across the street,” she said. “But our hope is that at least five men will be able to be here and have their own room, shared living bathroom, and kitchen facilities, but we'll be able to stay there for a nominal rent, but they'll be independent.”
Weiner said the house will need more than $150,000 dollars worth of work before it can be occupied, for this program.
“While the house is in very good shape for as old as it is, we do need and want to make an ADA accessible, so that it can house someone with disabilities as well as one bedroom on the first floor, that we can make ADA accessible.”
Zion used the home at 416 NW 6th Street as a parsonage (a home for clergy members) and eventually rented it out to individuals.
It will take more than a year for the house to be ready for this independent living scenario, and Weiner says there will likely be a waiting list for a place at Zion House.
“You know, five people in a city that has 400-plus homeless — in some ways, it's a drop in the bucket, unless you're one of those five people in which case it's enormous.”
She says they’ll be seeking a city grant for the project.
“We can be ready to go as soon as we get the money and we would hope that it might be ready for occupancy very early 2024,” she said. “So we've got a year's work ahead of us.”
She especially appreciates Zion giving them the house for $1 considering the price of real estate today. The congregation had voted unanimously to essentially gift the house to UCS.
