A not-for-profit housing organization in Kingston, Ont. has announced a new project that will potentially house disadvantaged youth in the area, thanks to a generous donation from a local church.
On Friday, Home Base Housing announced the congregation of Princess Street United Church made an “in-kind donation” of a portion of the church and property, valued at $1.5 million. The trustees of the church approached the not-for-profit last summer to see if they were interested in their property for some “social good.”
The congregation plans to continue to use a portion of the church for services for the next 10 years, but the majority of the church’s property will be used by Home Base Housing if the project is approved.
After discussions with the church’s trustees, the idea for the Kingston Youth Services Hub was born.
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As part of the project, a new building set to be constructed on the church’s property will become the home of the Home Base Housing’s One Roof program along with a “youth hub” providing services to homeless and vulnerable youth.
The proposal includes a space that could potentially offer up to 60 units of transitional and supportive housing for youth in the Kingston region.
The building will also house 27 other youth-serving organizations in the city.
“It is our hope that, in addition to the 27 other youth-serving organizations that deliver services through the One Roof program, other youth-serving agencies will permanently co-locate with us at this site,” a Home Base Housing news release read.
The project has the support of all three levels of government, but has yet to be approved by city council. Nevertheless, Home Base Housing says they have been consulting with the city about their plans.
“We have met with the city to develop our plans for the site and are pleased with our progress and support,” a news release states.
Now, the project will go through the planning approval processes, where consultations with nearby residents and businesses will take place, along with further conversations with local youth agencies.
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