Lighthouse Sheakley Center for Youth

Project Description

The project entails the historic rehabilitation and conversion of a 61,713 sq. ft. former warehouse building into the country’s first comprehensive services center for homeless youth aged 18 to 24 years old. The NMTC Project includes a 36 bedroom dormitory style transitional shelter, a day services facility, classroom/multi-purpose space, office space for 50 employees, and healthcare space. The 36 bed shelter to be financed as part of the NMTC Project will involve the relocation of the existing Highland Avenue Shelter located nearby. Relocating the Highland Avenue shelter allows LYS to move its existing teenage shelter serving youth aged 10-17 into the Highland Avenue property from its current location on Jefferson Avenue. This teenage shelter serves approximately 600 distinct youth/year. The Jefferson Avenue facility now operates as an emergency placement services center for children 0-12 years of age either entering or currently in the child welfare system needing emergency short-term residential placement. The new shelter consists of single-bed bedroom units and common areas that include laundry, single-user bathrooms, dining facility, and community and recreation space. The target populations are those that are homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness, including those aging out of the foster care system. LYS helps the youth served overcome a number of barriers they face upon entry to the shelter, and prior to release, LYS helps to ensure that each tenant has a safe housing option upon release. The shelter is free of charge to its tenants and therefore serves very low-income youth or youth with no income.