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Louisville families are now living in the first phase of Louisville's Community Care campus.

When it's complete, it's expected to be a one stop shop or the homeless can access shelter, medical services, and other resources.

The full campus is scheduled to open in 2027.

It's a partnership between Louisville Metro and volunteers of America Midstate with support from the Kentucky General Assembly.

Our Kelsey starts brings us up to date on this project.

Tamara Rife is the senior director of housing services for VOA Mid States.

Thanks so much for.

Thanks for having us.

So tell us about VOA and your involvement in this type of transformative project for Louisville's homeless community.

Yeah, sure.

It's really an exciting time for us.

I think it volunteers America.

We have been in business for over 125 years.

We do lots of things, but this community care campus is really focused on our homeless and housing work that we do.

We have been operating a family emergency shelter for over 40 years now, serving 200 families or so a year in our family emergency shelter.

And the community care campus is going to allow us to expand those services, as well as a lot of other ones.

Yeah, a lot of people have said this, this this is going to fill a gap.

And we have been in need for a long time of a 24 hour, shelter and other things.

What type of resources are going to be a part of this campus that's going to fill some of those gaps that have been so long in the Louisville community?

Yeah.

So we recognize when they first put out that, there was a need for, somebody to manage the campus and to offer, ideas for what might happen on the campus.

We knew right away that the biggest, area that we could serve is for families who are experiencing, homeless homelessness and a housing crisis.

We do that really well.

So we said we absolutely need more.

There are always families on the waiting list, waiting for a shelter spot to become available to them.

So we said, let's do another another unity House.

So we've got unity House two coming online.

Well, we'll be able to serve 29 additional families.

So not only the 24 we serve now, but another 29.

And the goal really is that at some point there is not a waiting list.

And when a family is experiencing a crisis, they call and they're told, yes, VOA has a bed for you tonight.

We're going to have, medical respite, which is its own very unique, space for people who are, in the hospital.

And, instead of having to leave the hospital and go back to a place that is, not clean, maybe not meant for, habitation, really, or a homeless camp.

They can go to respite where they can heal and have professionals take care of them.

We get to partner with family health centers.

You have Norton to do that work.

And then also we're going to have transitional housing for youth experiencing homelessness.

Those 18 to 24, we get to partner with YMCA Safe Place, who is already doing amazing work.

And they get to come on and have a, have a building where they get to serve their, their individuals, and the way that they do really well.

So we're excited to do that too.

So this is designed to sort of be a one stop shop, right where everything is, included in this one campus.

Yes.

Because the other, building will be a partner space, as well as VOA headquarters.

In that partner space, there are lots of folks who will provide services, whether that's monthly or weekly or, they'll have a permanent space.

This is an opportunity for people to live and work in the same space together and be able to to receive services in a very unique way.

Another part of this is permanent affordable housing.

Right.

And so how does that play into this campus?

So we also have plans to build, 80 units of affordable housing with an emphasis on permanent supportive housing.

We are short in the city of about 1200 permanent supportive housing units.

They are for the most vulnerable and the hardest to house.

So, we there is a almost 300 coming online in the next couple of years that will help with that gap.

But we want to be a part of, creating even more space.

We know that folks need housing, but also the support that goes along with it to help keep them housed.

And so that's always our goal, is to get them housed and keep them housed.

Yeah.

Overall, this is a $58 million project and supported by metro government and funds bipartisan support from the Kentucky General Assembly as well.

Explain why this is important not only to Louisville, but the rest of the state as well.

How does it affect everybody?

Well, I think that, one of the things that can do is really show what's possible.

Right?

So, you know, this is a very unique opportunity for us to do this campus the way that it is.

And maybe there's, opportunities across the state for smaller versions.

People are very eager to provide housing, homeless work in their communities.

And we know the volunteers.

America does it well, but we also know the folks on our campus do their parts really well.

So it would be amazing if we could replicate the service in other areas, maybe not on the same scale, but certainly with the with the intention of wraparound services and what a community campus can really be.

Yeah, it could be a model for the state and maybe the country for you, because there are so many areas experiencing this rising number of homeless right now.

Yeah.

Thank you so much for your time.

Yeah.

And all you all are doing for the community.

Phase one of the Community Care campus is on track, as we mentioned, open next spring.

And that includes the Unity House.

It's an emergency shelter for families, who will have access to case management and housing placement as well.

Back to you.

Thank you so much, Kelsey.

According to the coalition for the homeless, nearly 2000 people are currently homeless in Louisville.