Holy Family Shelter: Increasing our space to serve more families
Click here to see the layout and design of the new facility.
The current Holy Family Shelter facility is located at 30 E. Palmer Street, adjacent to Sacred Heart Catholic Church on the near Southside of Indianapolis. It is inadequate because of the constraining site, constant maintenance with “band-aid” repairs, and limited flexibility. We have existed in this facility since 1984 which was not designed as a shelter, and the masonry load-bearing construction does not allow for modifications. Over the course of the 24 years of serving homeless families, this facility has provided shelter to over 8000 families. The site does not allow for expansion.
Space is so limited that often times our families have to meet with one of these providers in our dining room while meals are being served. We have had opportunities presented to us to enhance our services such as onsite job training and parenting classes that could not be accommodated simply because we didn’t have the appropriate space. The need for appropriate space such as offices and classrooms became glaringly evident recently when three services simultaneously took place in one room. We were having a health screening fair, an attorney was meeting with one of our families, and a meal was being served to a new family who just came into the shelter having not eaten all day – all three of these services happened at the same time inside our dining room.
A new facility will allow us to expand the number of homeless families we currently serve, and serve our clients with more enhanced and follow-up services. We will be closer to partners and services, as well as be on two arterial bus routes (almost 85% of the homeless families we serve rely on public transportation). Our collaborative service partners who come into the shelter to offer their services to the homeless families in residence will be able to do so in classrooms and private offices, which will allow for a more productive and dignified approach to their services. We will be able to expand the number of onsite service partners simply by having adequate space. Additionally, as the demand for residential homeless services increases, a new facility will allow us to better address the City of Indianapolis’ Blueprint to End Homelessness through a more streamlined approach to service which includes ample classroom, storage, and recreational space.
The project consists of the demolition of Mary Carl Hall (former convert) and Lavric Hall (former parish school and former Adult Day Services) and the construction of a new building consisting of 31,247 sf at the site of Holy Trinity Catholic Church at 2618 W. St. Clair Street, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46222.
Estimated Project Cost:
Estimated project costs are based on architect and contractor estimates and the completion of an assessment study.
- Site Work and Utilities
- Building Additions
- Architecture/Engineering
- Furniture, Kitchen Equipment and other office set-up
- Testing, surveying and permits
- Total Cost for this capital project:
