A rendering for New Community Shelter's 41-unit apartment building planned for the corner of Mather and Alma Streets in Green Bay. (Photo credit: City of Green Bay, New Community Shelter)
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Green Bay homeless shelter is trying to privately raise $14 million to provide a service that it says isn’t currently available in the area.
New Community Shelter wants to build a four-story, 41-unit apartment building to better support people trying to succeed on their own.
Terri Refsguard, CEO of New Community, says the plan has been a goal of hers for about 15 years, and the shelter has raised a good chunk of the money needed in just four months.
“I think a lot of our donors went out and talked to others,” said Refsguard.
The hope is to privately fundraise the entire amount so the shelter can operate the apartments the way it sees fit, according to Refsguard.
The shelter spent about $2 million to purchase seven single-residence homes across the street from its Mather Street facility for the project. The homes will either be demolished or relocated.
New Community currently has capacity for 98 people with its emergency services and has about 20 transitional living apartments on its second floor.
Refsguard says more than half the people who leave the transitional apartments succeed on their own, while others struggle without the shelter’s support.
“For some, it’s like putting a fifth grader in an apartment and saying, ‘Here you go,’” said Refsguard. “We are going to teach people to be good renters, how to take care of an apartment, how to be a good neighbor. Know that New Community Shelter is a safety net right across the street.”
The new apartment building will all be one-bedroom units. Before living there, people will have to go through New Community’s programs and be approved as someone who needs the extra support.
“Each tenant will have a case manager,” said Refsguard. “So, they’ve got a person on the inside to help them if they feel like they’re falling back, they’re going to lose a job.”
Two people from the neighborhood spoke during a public hearing Monday night for zoning changes for the project.
“If they’re just trying to expand their program, I feel that is a great thing,” said Mark Berglund of Green Bay. “It’s much needed in our community, some more of that we could use.”
“She’s concerned about her property value decreasing,” said Dave Osburn, whose step-daughter owns a home near the proposed project.
The city’s plan commission provided initial zoning approval, with the full city council getting the final say at its next meeting.
New Community hopes to keep rent prices below $800 a month, according to Refsguard.
Refsguard says anyone interested in donating to the project should call her at New Community Shelter at (920) 437-3766.
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