Construction has started on the Open Door Mission’s $6.8 million project to develop 24 units of permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless individuals at the Miller Building in Rochester. Funded through the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, the apartments will be occupied by individuals dealing with severe mental illness, struggling with substance use disorder, and youth ages 18 to 25.
The vacant Miller Building on West Main Street, which Open Door Mission already owns, will be completely renovated to include 13 studio and 11 one-bedroom apartments. Residents will have access to on-site support services.
Open Door Mission operates three other facilities offering emergency or transitional shelter in Monroe County. Funding for the project includes more than $6.5 million from the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, with Open Door Mission covering the remaining construction costs. Operating funding will be provided through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative through the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
Open Door Mission Executive Director Anna Valeria-Iseman said, “We are excited for this long awaited chapter at Open Door Mission to convert our Miller Building into housing units. Open Door Mission is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty, homelessness, and addiction, and the successful construction of these housing units will establish a strong path to recovery, financial independence, and lasting restoration for the people we serve.”
The Homeless Housing Assistance Program provides capital grants and loans to not-for-profit corporations, charitable and religious organizations, and municipalities to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate housing for persons who are unable to secure adequate housing without special assistance. The grants are awarded through a competitive process by the New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation, a public benefit corporation staffed by OTDA.
So far this year, the program has allocated nearly $25 million to eight projects that will create or preserve 213 units of supportive housing and repair emergency shelters throughout the state. Last year, the program provided funding to 30 projects that will add 881 units of supportive housing and repair emergency shelters.
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