Get FIT (Families in Transition) Shelter is looking to close a gap for the homeless.
The organization wants to establish a transitional living facility in Jefferson County. Currently, there is no such facility between Bonne Terre and downtown St. Louis.
Get FIT president Tony Crane, 60, of Barnhart said the group is negotiating to purchase the former Village of Holidays, 931 River St., in Imperial, just west of Kimmswick. The building operated for a time as a paid-admission attraction and was known as the home of Keesha the Cougar.
Crane said the site dovetails with his group’s concept.
“This is the best alternative for this mission that we have seen at this time,” he said.
He said the owners are asking $269,900 for the 1-acre property that includes a two-story home and an accessory building. Get FIT received a $25,000 grant in May from the Jefferson Foundation to help secure the site for the home.
“Just being out in the community, we’ve seen the need for services for a homeless person,” said Missy Endres, Jefferson Foundation vice president of programs. “This seemed like a way to address that need. It is something we could support and get behind. It is different from your traditional homeless shelter in that it is a transitional house. We like the approach they take and want to be able to support it.”
The group’s mission will be to provide a temporary home for the homeless, while teaching the skills needed to get a job and live on their own.
Permit needed
The group has applied to the Jefferson County Planning and Zoning Commission for a conditional-use permit, with a public hearing set for Thursday, July 13. Property owners within 600 feet of the property will be notified by mail of the planned project.
Crane said the commission has recommended a maximum occupancy of 18 to 22 people at the home.
He said Jefferson County Councilman Bob Boyer, (District 3, Arnold), who will take over as county assessor Sept. 1, has acted as an adviser for Get FIT and navigated the requirements for the permit application.
“He understands things with planning and zoning,” Crane said. “It was natural to ask him for guidance.”
The Jefferson County Council will make the final decision on the permit.
Crane said he understands that people may be hesitant to live near the home, to be called “Haven for Hope,” because of the stigma of homeless shelters.
“One of the big things and issues of misunderstanding of what we are doing versus other homeless shelters is that we are trying to identify people who could transition back into normal society,” Crane said. “Rather than other shelters that just take everyone in – they are just a drop-in shelter for a time with no questions asked.”
Following Bonne Terre’s Shared Blessings example
The Haven for Hope will be modeled after Shared Blessings in Bonne Terre.
To be eligible to live in the home, a person will have to pass a background check that will look into criminal history and other incidents that could lead to a person being homeless.
After a person is accepted into the home, Get FIT will provide instruction in basic job skills, developing a resume, cooking classes and how to be a good tenant or homeowner.
There will also be a psychological component; the organization will teach conflict resolution and parenting skills.
“In the house, we will help these people to be able to address their core issues of homelessness,” Crane said.
Although Get FIT is not a religious organization, a spiritual element will be available in the house.
“We would allow churches to come in and have regular Bible studies,” Crane said. “People would have the option to listen. No one would be forced into that kind of thing. We would have services and Bible studies and things that will help deal with hang-ups and habits in a spiritual sense.”
Shared Blessings executive director Shelly Bess said it will not be easy to start Haven for Hope.
Shared Blessings has been in Bonne Terre for 10 years, but it became a transitional home five years ago.
“There was opposition at the beginning,” Bess aid. “We had been outside city limits for the first two years. When we moved into the city limits of Bonne Terre, there was opposition, but we brought that on ourselves.”
Bess said the house was originally a traditional homeless shelter, but when it became a transitional home and residents were properly vetted, the community became more accepting.
“We are not a handout, we are a hand up,” Bess said.
Crane said the goal is to become like Shared Blessings, which averages about 10 residents at one time but can house up to 32 people.
The average stay at Shared Blessings is about 30 days, but a person may be able to move out sooner or need to stay as long as six to nine months before being able to afford to move out.
Renovation needed
Besides securing a permit, Get FIT would need to renovate the Imperial property.
The 4,800-square-foot home will need an apartment for a caretaker on the main floor as well as living space for residents. On the second floor, Get FIT wants to put in eight rooms with a hallway to provide access to them.
More bathrooms are needed as well as a sprinkler system, Crane said. There is also a full basement and attic that can be used for storage.
The accessory house would likely be turned into office space and a place for perspective clients to be interviewed before entering the home.
And finally, Get FIT will have to finance the project.
“Our current budget if we had the house, it would project at $6,000 per month,” Crane said. “That would be for everything. Right now, we need the cash flow. When I’ve spoken in front of groups, if one person out of 1,000 in this county paid $1 a day we would be fully funded.”
Crane, who is an engineer with Boeing, has experience in helping the homeless. He has been part of a street ministry group through Harbor Community Church.
The group goes to downtown St. Louis and offers the homeless food, supplies, support and prayer.
Crane is quick to point out the work he does downtown is very different from what he envisions for Haven for Hope.
“It has nothing to do with this ministry,” Crane said. “It is dealing with chronic homeless people downtown, helping give them tomorrow.”
For information on Haven for Hope or to donate to Get FIT, go to getfitshelter.org.