Lexington homeless shelter to open expansion after burst pipe caused delay
Lexington’s largest homeless shelter will open a $6.8 million expansion later this summer.
The Hope Center, which opened in 1993, runs programs to help the homeless population in Lexington, including street outreach and permanent housing. The center will open a two-story building, adding 72 units to the property on Loudon Avenue, likely in July.
Chief Executive Officer Jeff Crook said the expansion will “drastically decrease” service delays for people who need help.
“Most of these homeless people are living in a world of fear out on the streets, and so they can’t even think about the next thing that will get them healthy,” Chief Advancement Officer Chris Peck said.
“This kind of gives them a little space where they can think about their future a little bit.”
The space was originally planned to open in April but a water pipe burst just before move-in, causing extensive damage.
“Eighty-nine gallons a minute flowed for five hours. It occurred overnight, so no one saw the issue until they came to work that morning,” Peck said. “We had to redo all the walls, floors, and ceiling. It was a mess, but we are now on track.”
The first floor, which has 32 units, will be dedicated to housing veterans. The 40 units on the second floor will be for people receiving reintegration services from the Hope Center, like mental health treatment or career preparation programs.
Veterans will be the first to occupy the new building.
The veterans program currently runs out of the Hope Center’s emergency shelter. By moving them first, beds will be free in the emergency shelter and more people will have a place to sleep, Peck said.
The new building is transitional housing, which is a step between emergency and permanent housing.
“The main intention here is to try and make sure that we have people fully prepared before they move back into permanent housing,” Peck said.
“Otherwise, in six months, they will be homeless again. If you don’t address those root causes, they’re not just gonna go away.”
About half of the $6.8 million expansion was funded through private donations. The other money came from a $1.55 million capital grant from the Office of Veterans Affairs, and $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the city of Lexington.