By Adam Davis
Former Rutland City Mayor Chris Louras has been selected as one of two new housing consultants that the city has hired under a state grant to work on a transitional housing project to help alleviate homelessness. Current Rutland City Mayor Micheal Doenges said that Louras’ role in the project would serve as a “connector and resource builder” and that he and Megan Novak, the other new housing consultant, will primarily work out of the Vision Center at the Rutland City Police Department.
“They know the players. They know the resources,” Doenges told the Board of Alderman at a recent Monday night meeting.
Last year, the state of Vermont requested proposals from cities and towns for projects that could potentially help fight homelessness. Doenges answered with a proposal for 50 units of transitional housing that includes 24/7 onsite support and wraparound services. The state approved the proposal and provided the city with $240,000 to develop the plan over the next two years. The state grant will fund Novak and Louras’ work. Doenges said he does not intend to spend any city money or involve any current members of city government on the project.
“We’re going to be using state money to make those connections and then we want to hand this off to one of those agencies that already exists. This will not be a city endeavor,” he said.
Doenges has proposed a transitional housing campus of 50 prefabricated units along with five support staff buildings. The units are intended to accommodate up to a six-person family, will be energy efficient and equipped with solar. The campus will be gated and drug and alcohol free. There will be 24/7 onsite support and wraparound services. The staff buildings will include a common area with resources to help residents as they pursue gainful employment and long-term housing.
Each aspect of the project will be funded by state grant money, including staffing costs. Support staff positions intend to be filled through partnerships with graduate programs at universities around the region. The development, management, and ownership of this project will likely be handled by organizations like the Rutland Housing Authority or the Housing Trust of Rutland County.
It is still to be determined exactly where the campus will be located, as well as the programming and scheduling of the services provided.
“This is still in idea mode. We need to get it to practical application mode,” Doenges said.
