Southern Indiana youth services organization faces eviction as county looks to sell building

NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) — Weeks after cutting the ribbon on its new shelter program, a southern Indiana organization that helps youth experiencing homelessness could be evicted.

Last month, Open Door Youth Services and One Southern Indiana cut the ribbon on The Sanctuary at the Pineview Government Center on Corydon Pike in New Albany.

The new shelter program provides temporary housing and support for youth between the ages of 10 and 17 who are experiencing homelessness or crisis situations.

But according to Open Door, Floyd County Commissioners now plan on selling the Pineview Government Center property, where the youth services bureau is currently located.

According to a copy of a meeting agenda for the commissioners' Tuesday evening meeting, terminating the lease will be an item of discussion.

Open Door said if commissioners choose to terminate the lease, that will affect The Sanctuary youth shelter, after school programs and child abuse prevention programs.

"Even though we are part of the county, we are self-supporting, and so I think we tend to get lost in the shuffle," Leah Pezzarossi, executive director of Open Door Youth Services, said. "And I understand they have other departments they are obligated to work with, and we don't expect them to buy us a building or make arrangements for us, we just want to make arrangements ourselves and this is a short timeline."

The county commissioners will meet Tuesday, May 20 at 6 p.m.

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