Construction at Elevate Estates is moving right along, with an expected opening date sometime in December.
Three buildings now rise from a tract of land on Old Madisonville Road. At the head of the complex, the Johnston Family Information Center, which Elevate Executive Director Julie Wischer says is being called the “clubhouse,” will be the entry point for visitors. It will contain offices, including for property management, the director of supportive housing and a staff office. There’s also a maintenance garage in the building.
Behind the clubhouse, a courtyard sits in the middle of the two residence buildings comprised of 48 apartments—16 doubles and 32 singles, Wischer said.
Currently, the apartments are not yet fully outfitted—flooring, counters, sinks and appliances haven’t been installed. Additionally, the apartments will be furnished and that will come later, as well.
But the bones are there and Wischer gets excited thinking about the possibility for the 64 residents that will soon make Elevate Estates their home. Two-person dwellings have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a full kitchen, a living space and a washer and dryer. There’s also a storage area that can be accessed via outside balconies (on the second floor) or via porches (on the first floor).
Another feature is that first-floor apartments will all be ADA accessible, and that includes lower countertops and cabinets so those in wheelchairs can use them, Wischer said.
Residents of the apartments will be people who are homeless or have experienced homelessness because of a disability, Wischer said. And 38 of the 48 units will be a part of the Kentucky Balance of State Coordinated Entry, she said.
It’s a program administered by the Kentucky Housing Corporation, with funding from the federal Housing and Urban Development.
According to an information sheet from Wischer, the program’s goal is to help those who are “literally homeless.” Homeless people who have received help through local access points such as emergency shelters, street outreach teams, victim service providers, community mental health centers and other partner agencies may be added to a prioritization list, according to the information sheet.
Those with the highest prioritization—it’s not a first-come, first-serve program—are served first, according to the information sheet.
The ten units that are not a part of the Kentucky BoS program are reserved for referrals that come from various programs. The primary referral program is the Kentucky Medicaid Home & Community-Based Services waiver program. Another is the 1915(i) RISE Initiative, which is for adults with serious mental illness. Additionally, direct applications may be accepted if the referral pathways cannot fill vacancies, according to the information sheet.
No apartments have been reserved yet. Wischer said the process for finding residents will begin about two months before Elevate Estates opens.
No members of Elevate’s staff will live inside apartments, but staff will be present at the clubhouse 24 hours a day. So, if residents need help with a load of laundry or cooking a meal or a ride to the doctor, they can call down to the clubhouse for help, Wischer said.
A goal of the development is “to create a culture that gives (residents) as much access as possible to individual choice,” Wischer said.
When completed, the complex will be the newest and nicest apartments in Henderson—something that’s not always the case with government-funded buildings (it’s largely funded by a KHC grant program) and housing for those with disabilities, Wischer said.
Though there’s still much work to do until the apartments are finished, Wischer said, “I think they’re gorgeous.”
