PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Hope Villages of America is increasing into the affordable housing market.
The Pinellas County nonprofit was not too long ago pressured to shut its homeless shelter. Executive director Kirk Ray Smith introduced that they’d be transitioning the Grace House homeless shelter into an affordable housing campus. He stated the nonprofit’s similar companies would proceed, simply with out a shelter component.
“I hope donations don’t go down, but I think government support is getting harder secure, to be honest, and they’re making it tough on us man; it’s not easy,” defined Kirk Ray Smith.
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The motive for this transition stems from a call in December of 2020 by the juvenile welfare board. They determined to terminate practically half 1,000,000 {dollars} in funding to Hope Villages to function The Grace House, citing administrative and monetary considerations. Smith stated he nonetheless would not perceive the choice and factors to his group’s file in serving to the homeless progress again into society.
“Again, we’re talking about a 90% success rate, we didn’t agree with that decision, but we didn’t get a chance to defend it,” defined Smith.
The present residences will grow to be affordable housing items beginning October first. There are 14 items including to the 11 current that Hope Villages of America already operates. However, Smith stated the results of this shall be felt throughout the county.
“It’s going to happen because there isn’t many other places for homeless to go in Pinellas County. There are only 130 beds available to Pinellas County families, and we facilitate 80 of those, and that inventory will close,” stated Smith.
The juvenile welfare board selected to award the funding to St. Vincent De Paul – one other group that operates shelters for the homeless in Pinellas County.