Not every housing project starts with a groundbreaking. This one in Cedar Rapids starts with a building that's already standing and a lot of people with scrub brushes.
A former CRST truck driver training facility is being turned into housing for people experiencing homelessness, and volunteers are helping get it ready to open by the end of November, KCRG reported Monday. The project is called The Commons on 16th, and it's set up as a three-year pilot.
What's inside
According to KCRG, The Commons will offer 65 units with private bedrooms and shared kitchens and bathrooms. Residents will get intensive case management and help getting ready to move into independent housing.
The building has room for more than that. CBS2 Iowa reported in August that the former training facility has 85 units, but organizers plan to lease a maximum of 65 at first so staff can figure out what works and make sure they can meet residents' needs before adding more people. Each unit houses one person.
The building's history makes it a natural fit. It was used as dorms for CRST's truck driving school, and the station reported it already includes large individual rooms, medical units and office space that service providers can use. J'nae Peterman, Linn County's homeless systems manager, told the station the project grew out of conversations that started earlier this year after CRST offered the vacant space for use in the community's homeless services system.
Central Furniture Rescue is partnering on furnishings. Plans for each room include a chair or loveseat, a small table, a dresser and a mini fridge.
Getting it ready
United Way of East Central Iowa is organizing a Week of Impact, bringing together volunteers from local employers to clean, prepare rooms and finish other projects before residents move in. In August, volunteers were already painting and furnishing rooms, according to CBS2 Iowa.
Volunteer Jillisa Claye told KCRG that she and her coworkers wanted to pitch in once they learned what was happening at the site.
"When we found out about what was happening here, it's something we really believe in and see the need for. So we wanted to come out and send our people and do whatever it takes to get this project complete," Claye said.
Who it's for
Peterman told KCRG the project is meant to give people who have been homeless for a long time the time and support to adjust to living indoors again.
"We know that some of these folks have spent years unsheltered — many of them five or more years unsheltered. So one of the things we know is they just need time to learn what it means to live indoors again," she said.
That support includes learning to manage a lease, pay rent on time and handle the other responsibilities of living independently. Peterman said the approach serves a different purpose than emergency shelter, including a winter shelter.
"We know that shelter is a temporary crisis response, so shelter is absolutely necessary in our community, but it shouldn't be our solution," she said.
CBS2 Iowa reported that residents will pay $550 a month in rent, and those who can't cover it on their own can be connected with rental assistance. A job isn't required. Residents will be offered 12-month leases they can renew as many times as they need. The Commons will serve single adults, identified through the city's coordinated entry system.
Several organizations are lined up to provide support on site, including peer support specialists, behavioral health services, Linn County Public Health, Eastern Iowa Health Center and mental health support through the Abbe Center, according to the station.
Who's paying
KCRG reported the project has financial support from Linn County, the city of Cedar Rapids, local businesses, nonprofit organizations and private donors. Residents with income will also contribute rent.
Why it matters for Contractors
This is a reminder that some of the fastest housing to come online isn't new construction at all. A dormitory-style building with private rooms, shared kitchens and baths, offices and medical space already in place can be turned into housing within months, and much of the visible prep work here has been done by volunteers.
For contractors who do commercial-to-residential conversions or renovation work, it's worth watching what happens over the pilot's three years. Organizers want to learn how the model fits alongside existing services, and Peterman told CBS2 Iowa she hopes other communities will look to it. If it catches on, vacant dorms and training centers elsewhere could become conversion work.