Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals bought the Maple Street building for $320,000 with the help of state and private funds and a $150,000 Community Preservation Act grant from the city of Northampton.
Northampton first graders donate baked goods for the homeless.NORTHAMPTON – Six people used to living on the street and friends’ couches will soon have a place to call home as The Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals prepares to open its second house for the chronically homeless.
The duplex at 15-17 Maple St. has three bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room and a bathroom on each side, enough for a total of six tenants, according to Yvonne Freccero, the president of the organization. Freccero was the driving force behind the creation of “Yvonne’s House,” a similar project on Straw Avenue that opened two years ago. The hope, Freccero said, is that by giving people a secure base, they can break the cycle of homelessness and unemployment that put them on the street in the first place.
“It’s virtually impossible to make a permanent, successful life when you’re in a shelter,” Freccero said. “People need a chance to get on their feet and live a normal life.”
Friends of Hampshire County Homeless Individuals bought the building for $320,000 with the help of state and private funds and a $150,000 Community Preservation Act grant from the city of Northampton. Freccero said her organization will foot the bill for a new roof and furnishings, but has deeded the property to Gandara Centers, Inc., the organization that runs Hairston House, a Northampton program for people with drug and alcohol addictions. Freccero said it’s likely that that residents of Hairston House will move into the Maple Street house as they progress with their substance abuse problems.
“For people who are chronically homeless and have made the effort to be sober, they need to have people around them who are not drinking,” she said.
As on Straw Avenue, tenants will pay 30 percent of their income towards rent. Hairston House will absorb the remainder of the cost and provide support services to residents. Freccero deems “Yvonne’s House” a huge success, noting that several of the tenants there have settled into stable and productive lives. While men and women share space at “Yvonne’s House,” Freccero said need will determine the mix of genders on Maple Street.
Despite the cost of the project, Freccero said such homes are cost effective in the long run.
“Eventually, it’s a lot cheaper than paying for people to be in shelters,” she said.
Freccero expects tenants to be able to move into Maple Street by July 1.