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New project hopes to help Bradenton families facing homelessness
Mark Wilson reports
BRADENTON, Fla. - A new Bradenton project is hoping to take families from poverty to stability.
Hope Village will sit on 40 acres of land. It's a temporary housing program for families facing homelessness.
"The grand plan is to build 53 units to help single moms and dads," said Steve Wilson, Help to Home Board Member. "Primarily single moms and dads climb out of the threat of being constantly on the edge of homelessness."
The Hope Village project will cost millions.
To help them not fall over the edge, Hope Village will have a program called "Help to Home."
"Help to Home is a transitional housing program for families who are at risk of homelessness or currently experiencing homelessness," said Margie Genter, Help to Home Board Member . "And it also comes with wraparound services and a program to help them move out of that situation."
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The program hopes to get people out of poverty with a touch of tough love.
"And just that whole accountability and personal responsibility. We think that those are the things that will allow a family to get the skills that they need to get housing and stay housed," Genter explained.
Hope Village will be on 40 acres of land.
Families stay at the Village for two years and get the intense training that they need to turn their lives around.
"We're going to help that individual develop a plan specific to their situation, specific to their needs. There are resources out in the community that will be able to help support that plan," Genter added.
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Steve Wilson believes the effort can change the financial landscape for families.
"In many cases, this is generational poverty people are suffering from. So if we can stop it now, we are changing the lives not only of people that aren't even born now who are going to be born in the future," he said.
The project will cost about three million dollars, and they hope to start later this year.