Behind a $58M community project

Access Louisville

We catch up with a major Louisville nonprofit on this week's Access Louisville podcast.

Tamera Reif, senior director of Housing Services at Volunteers of America Mid-States, is on this week's show to talk about a number of ongoing projects with the organizaiton. She spends her days in the world of residential homeless and housing work — a key issue affecting Louisville in recent years. She talks about how she is inspired to do the work.
Volunteers of America Mid-States (VOA) broke ground on its new headquarters, the $58 million Community Care Campus, in September. Reif tells us on the show that one of the most exciting parts of that project is a new family emergency shelter, which will more than double the available space for families experiencing homelessness. The campus also includes transitional housing for 18 to 24 year old youths and respite care for homeless people leaving the hospital.
The space will also include meeting rooms and partner spaces, she explains. And she speaks with LBF Editor-in-Chief Shea Van Hoy talks with Reif about how the campus project came together with the support of Louisville Metro Government.
The start of construction comes nearly two years after Louisville Metro Government purchased the Smoketown properties on Breckinridge Street near Floyd and Brook streets for nearly $7 million. Existing facilities on the property included the Vu Hotel and Guest House as well as the C2 event space, which George Stinson and his partner Ed Lewis opened in 2016.
The majority of the funding for the project is coming from the Kentucky General Assembly and Louisville Metro Government, which are contributing a combined $22.5 million, according to VOA’s website. Low income housing credits are responsible for $19 million in funds and the VOA has been able to raise $2.5 million for the project to date. But that still leaves a $17.5 million gap in funding.
The new campus is expected to fully completed in 2027 and will employ 75 people. Miranda Construction is handling the buildout of the Community Care Campus. Hancock said the new Unity House will have 34 rooms and be able to serve 80 to 90 people at a time.
Access Louisville is a weekly podcast from Louisville Business First. It's available on popular podcast services, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.