43
New North Side housing facility to help the homeless
YOUNGSTOWN
A crowd of more than 100 people gathered Monday outside the Commons at Madison housing facility to celebrate the grand opening of the 40-unit, two-story apartment complex that will alleviate homelessness.
The 39,000-square-foot facility at 741 Madison Ave. on the North Side is meant to serve as a residence for tenants afflicted with mental illness or by addiction and includes on-site support services.
Funding for the more than $7 million Commons came by way of private partnerships, grants and the use of the low-income-housing tax credit.
Future residents will have access to common rooms and a shared dining area, offices and computers as well as job-placement services and primary health-care resources.
Each apartment unit has a living area and a kitchenette as well as a separate bedroom and a bathroom with a shower.
The project was possible as a result of a three-way collaboration among COMPASS Family and Community Services, Meridian HealthCare and Help Network of Northeast Ohio.
Joe Caruso, president and CEO of COMPASS, said the Commons would be “life-changing” for the residents.
“This facility will allow residents to live with dignity and respect,” Caruso said.
Larry Moliterno, president and CEO of Meridian HealthCare, and Vince Brancaccio, CEO of Help Network of Northeast Ohio, were the other principal partners for the project.
Moliterno thanked the project collaborators and said he was proud that soon “there will be 40 people with a safe place to live.”
Brancaccio offered similar thanks and congratulated his partners and collaborators for overcoming the hurdles and pitfalls that arose during the project.
A number of organizations supported the project: Huntington Bank and Home Savings and Loan as well as the Youngstown Foundation, the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, the J. Ford Crandall Memorial Foundation and the John D. Finnegan Foundation.
State Rep. John Boccieri of Poland, D-59th, attended the ribbon cutting and presented the partners with a state flag to commemorate the occasion.
“The tenacity and perseverance needed to carry out a project like this is significant,” Boccieri said. “When you’ve got a project that uses both private and public funding, it takes a lot of work and effort, but it’s worth it to know that individuals will get the housing and care they need.”
Caruso said there already were 85 applicants vying for the 40 available spots in the facility.
The Commons was built by DeSalvo Construction and was designed by Berardi Partners.