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Family Services Inc. previewed its new $4.3 million homeless shelter -- five days before the facility will receive its first residents -- for media and officials from local government and human service agencies.
"I'm so relieved," said Family Services Executive Director Lisa Hann, after conducting a tour. "It's been a labor of love, but it's also been a lot of hard work for myself, my staff and the volunteers on the (project) task force."
The 35-bed shelter will roughly double the capacity of the former shelter -- although it won't come close to covering the community's need.
Last year, the old shelter served 94 individuals and families, but had to turn away 2,478 people, according to Hann.
Currently, there are 80 families in Blair County that are homeless. There are 160 others who are couch surfing, staying with friends or relatives or in an otherwise precarious situation -- and actively seeking housing, according to Hann.
To help ensure that the new facility will serve as many as possible, residents are limited to 30 days -- although they can stay two more weeks if they are compliant with job and housing search requirements.
The new shelter is the result of a renovation of the old Drenning trucking company building on North Branch Avenue.
While the old shelter had a well-worn, tired look, the new one is immaculate, with wheat colored walls, premium vinyl flooring in common areas and carpet squares elsewhere.
The building was "a hot mess" when the project began, "a big old warehouse -- dirty, with a leaking ceiling," she said.
Now, there are sleeping rooms with bunk and single beds, dressers and hampers, men's and women's bathrooms; a small conference room for one-on-one counseling; a computer room for job searches and work skills development; a large conference room for staff; an office; a large common room with a regular kitchen and an accessible kitchen; a laundry room; a lounge-style living room; a children's room and a storage room.
There are single-occupancy accommodations for veterans who might have post-traumatic stress syndrome and accommodations for families with children.
There are six two-bedroom apartments -- two accessible – on the second floor that will be available to low-income people within a couple of months.
There will be no restriction on the length of occupancy for those, provided the tenants pay their rent and follow the house rules, Hann said.
Utility costs are covered for the apartment tenants, and some furnishings will be available if needed.
Family Services is seeking an organization to provide parenting instruction and child care for shelter residents.
It's also seeking volunteers to help maintain the shelter, answer phones, teach life skills like cooking and cleaning and "sit and talk" with residents to give them encouragement, Hann said. "To let them know there's someone in their corner," Hann said.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.