VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — There are plans to open a new emergency shelter in Vigo County for people most impacted by the housing crisis.
Mental Health America of West Central Indiana received a 3 million dollar grant from the Department of Mental Health and Addiction. The money will be used to open “The Lotus Center,” an emergency shelter for people with no other available housing options.
It will be low-barrier housing, meaning the requirements for staying at the shelter will be low. The goal is to make the process easier and more flexible for people experiencing homelessness.
“If you have a job, you need to be able to work whatever shift you’re on. You need to be able to get your children to school and we recognize that, and we want to be able to meet those households’ needs especially when they’re in such a crisis with no shelter,” said Myra Wilkey Chief Executive Officer for Mental Health America of West Central Indiana.
They’re still working on choosing a location for the shelter.
“We’re hoping by the end of the month, the first of February, we’ll have a location to announce. We’ll do some rehab that hopefully won’t take too long and get people moving into shelter as soon as possible,” Wilkey explained.
