$650,000 grant will fund new transitional housing program for Louisville young adults

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Jewish Heritage Fund will donate $650,000 a new Young Adult Transitional Housing program at Louisville's Community Care Campus.

Th campus run by Volunteers of America in Old Louisville provides housing and support services to the city's s homeless population. The new building will serve the 18-24 age group.

"With young adults comprising one of the fastest growing segments of homelessness in Louisville, we know the earlier we can get these individuals into stable jobs and housing the more likely we are to prevent the compounding adverse effects of homelessness," Jeff Polson, president and CEO of the Jewish Heritage Fund, said at a news conference Tuesday morning.

The first $500,000 of the grant will support renovating an existing building on the campus to create a transitional housing space. Then, $150,000 will go to YMCA Safe Place Services, which will run the program once it's complete.

"This is absolutely more than a donation," said Jennifer Hancock, president and CEO of VOA Mid-States. "It's truly a lifeline. It's an investment in young people who are at a critical crossroads in their lives."

The Jewish Heritage Fund said in a news release Tuesday that YMCA Safe Place Services assisted 158 homeless young adults last year, up from 133 in 2023.

In total, the new program will create transitional housing units, two of which will be ADA-compliant. They'll all come equipped with a bathroom and storage space.

"This generous gift from the Jewish Heritage Fund will help us continue to strengthen and speed up our efforts to support those without a place to call home,” Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said in a news release Tuesday. "The Community Care Campus is going to be a national model for providing the resources that help people find stable housing."

The program is expected to be up and running by July 2026.

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