WESTFIELD – Domus Inc. is working in conjunction with the School Department, and community and religious organizations, to establish housing for homeless high school students in the former Red Cross Chapter house on Broad Street .
Domus offers affordable housing to low and moderate income families, the homeless, and the mentally and physically disabled in nine housing buildings around the city, and is seeking Planning Board approval of a site plan to establish a 10-bed facility for homeless teen students at the Broad Street building which has been vacant since the Westfield Red Cross Chapter moved up the street to St. John’s Lutheran Church.
“We have, at any one time, 30 students who are homeless in Westfield,” Ann Lentini, Domus executive director, said last night at the public hearing. “In the state we have 6,000 homeless students.”
“You may have heard of the term ‘couch surfers, ‘ kids who stay with friends for a couple of days then move to another friend,” Lentini said. “Since 2008 we have been working with a number of people, school counselors, churches, the YMCA. We’ve been looking for a suitable place.”
Lentini said the building will be revamped and will have 11 residential units, as well as common areas. Ten of the units will house students and one will be used to house a proctor on the first floor for supervision and security.
Lentini said Domus is trying to fast track the project to secure funding and complete the property sale with the Red Cross. Lentini is slated to meet with the Community Preservation Committee tomorrow to request funding of $80,000 for the project and Domus recently was awarded a grant of $189,644 by the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) to finance its “Our House” project.
“The units are single-occupancy apartments with a small kitchen area and bathroom,” Lentini said. “There will be a larger kitchen on the first floor where they will learn to cook, a living room, dining room and offices for counseling.”
“We want to make it a secure environment where these youngsters will feel at home,” she said. “We’ve modeled this off other programs. All referrals will come through the school guidance department.”
Lentini said that, like all Domus housing, Our House will be a structured environment with rules and regulations.
Cathy Tansey of the Westfield High School guidance department said that over the past nine years there have been “consistently 30 homeless kids. Right now we have 16 who are out of home through no fault of their own.”
Tansey said an informal group, including Domus, churches, school and social agencies, began to raise funds and currently have three students living in apartments, but the need far exceeds the availability of housing homeless students.
“We do need apartments for 10 kids,” Tansey said.
A number of speakers supporting the Domus site plan application said the project addresses a unique housing problem that state social services do not address.
Ward 2 Councilor Ralph Figy, a retired school counselor who also serves as a mentor at Westfield Vocation Technical High School, cited the history of Domus project success.
“Let me re-emphasize that there is a need out there for these teens and the good record Domus has with its projects,” Figy said. “And this will preserve a historic building in the CORE district.”
Cynthia Hartdegen, a licensed social worker, also spoke of the real need for homeless teen housing.
“I can attest to the need for this facility,” Hartdegen said. “These children are at risk.”
Henry Bannish of the WVTHS guidance department said “this is greatly needed. A program like this is an opportunity for these kids to be safe.”
At-large Councilor James R. Adams said he looked at the Red Cross building as a possible business investment.
“There is no way any private contractor can put the kind of money into that building,” Adams said. “Domus can do what is needed. A considerable amount of money will be put into that building.”
Barbara Trant, whose Volunteers in Public Schools office is involved in homeless teen housing said “people donate to support these homeless teens.”
“We will be taking care of our own, teens who show up to school every day, students who have been abandoned,” Trant said. “This is an opportunity for life.”
The Planning Board voted to continue the hearing to its Jan 21 session, to allow time for the applicant to provide formal site plan documentation prepared by an engineer.
