SHEPHERDSVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Bullitt County nonprofit is proposing a new transitional housing program aimed at helping homeless residents and those leaving rehabilitation get back on their feet.
Mark 12 Ministries wants to turn six acres of land on Old Preston Highway in Shepherdsville into Grace Village, a cluster of six tiny homes that would each house two people. The project would also include a community building with bathrooms, classrooms and counseling services.
Executive Director Perry Cooke said the program is much needed in both the city and county, which he says are lacking in resources.
“We’re the largest county without a homeless shelter,” Cooke said. “So we don't even have the base necessities for people to be able to make time and space for people to get back on their feet."
Residents would live rent-free, but must maintain a full-time job and show proof of a bank account with some savings. Cooke said the program is designed to teach responsibility, with residents expected to contribute to the upkeep of the property.
Currently, Mark 12 Ministries rotates participants from church to church each night, requiring them to pack up each morning before heading to work. Cooke said the new setup would provide stability while still requiring accountability.
"They also aren't used to keeping up with a building, and grass, and all that stuff. In this community we are building, they will have responsibilities," he said.
But not everyone supports the plan. Shepherdsville City Council member Bonnie Enlow said she worries the project lacks enough supervision.
“They need a controlled environment — that is not controlled,” Enlow said, adding that her concerns stem from personal experience with addiction in her family.
"My step-son was a drug addict, he passed away when he was 37," she said. "I know what this is like and what they are going through."
Cooke said the property would be fenced and equipped with security cameras, with staff working closely with residents in what he described as an outcome-based program.
"We try to help people learn the skills they may have never learned or relearn skills they have forgotten," he said.
The Shepherdsville City Council is expected to vote on the plan Oct. 13.
To learn more about Mark 12 Ministries, click here.
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