Plans are underway for major upgrades at an east-side building dedicated to helping Columbus’ homeless population.
The Columbus Township Trustee’s office and Centerstone have partnered to offer services at the Community Engagement Center, 1951 McKinley Ave., using about a third of the 5,029-square foot building which was constructed in 1951.
For now, that’s just enough space to provide a carry-in meal, talk to a counselor — or just watch television in a warm, comfortable setting, according to Centerstone program manager Brian Meyer.
But as the remaining space in the building is acquired and renovated, plans call for adding washers and dryers, showers, a dining area, and a commercial-grade kitchen, said Columbus Township Trustee Ben Jackson.
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Plans also call for the construction of an instruction room where curriculum ranging from life skills, cognitive behavioral therapy and self-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous may be taught, Meyer said.
Centerstone is providing services at the center as the result of a five-year federal grant received last September from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.
Previous uses
The center opened in the spring of 2017 in a odd-shaped stone building that has housed several businesses including a Mexican restaurant, beauty parlor and dry cleaning service over the years.
The Community Engagement Center was initially created to provide services to the homeless, as well as a place to stay off the street, when the Brighter Days Emergency Shelter, located eight blocks away at 421 S. Mapleton St., is closed.
By installing additional accommodations, the center staff can begin establishing a degree of trust they hope will benefit the homeless they want to help, Meyer said.
In order to serve the most vulnerable members of the community, the center first has to make them feel safe and keep a low threshhold for individuals to overcome to access the facility, Meyer said.
By providing basic needs such as showers and a place to wash clothes, center officials hope to keep the homeless individuals coming back and using the services.
“That means we can begin working on the barriers that are keeping them from maintaining their own housing,” Meyer said. “Eventually, they get to trust you when they realize you have their best interests in mind.
When that type of positive relationship is established, a number of homeless people make up their own minds to improve their lives by talking to a therapist or counselor, Meyer said.
While Meyer said many homeless individuals have a blend of psychological problems and substance abuse issues working against them, Jackson said there are also some who have fallen into shock or deep depression after losing a job or a home.
The goal of the therapist and counselor is to eventually teach the client employment and other life skills that can keep them in housing for the long term, Meyer said.
Renovation costs
So how much will the renovation cost, and when will it be completed?
“The answer to both of those questions is the same — we don’t know,” Jackson said.
Right now, the focus is on basic upgrades to the old building which include new roofing, upgraded plumping, electrical repairs and a new heating and air conditioning system, Jackson said.
“We think we can do these repairs the same way we did at Brighter Days — by using volunteer labor and donated materials,” Jackson said.
However, bids on the most major repairs must first be obtained before donors can be recruited, he said.
This winter, the facility has been a beacon of warmth for those who are homeless. As dangerously cold temperatures arrived in south central Indiana in January, an annual one-day count of the homeless failed to turn up any {a id=”ext-comp-1755” class=”x-menu-item x-unselectable” href=”hne.local/tncms/admin/action/editorial-asset”}{span id=”ext-gen1352” class=”x-menu-item-text”}{/span}{/a}homeless person living outside on the day of the count, Jackson said.
Officials at the center and Brighter Days worked out a system, including bus transportation, to offer shelter and food to any person seeking it during consecutive days of brutal wind chills, snow and ice in January.
The center and Brighter Days housed about 30 people between the two facilities in late January.
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INDIANAPOLIS — The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded more than $18 million to 82 local homeless assistance programs across Indiana.
HUD announced the Indiana funding is among $2 billion in Continuum of Care grants distributed nationally to support a broad array of programs helping individuals and families experiencing homelessness, particularly those living in places not meant for habitation or living in shelters, or at imminent risk of becoming homeless.
While none of the money has been earmarked for Bartholomew County programs, the grants are renewal funding for previously funded local programs. Last September, Centerstone received a five-year federal grant to provide services at the Community Engagement Center from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration.
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