Apartments for young adults open next week in Manchester

Skyler Frazer, Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.
·3 min read

Jun. 25—MANCHESTER — Young adults will begin moving next week into Promise House Apartments, a facility providing temporary housing to those who need it, after the facility officially opened its doors Thursday.

State and local officials met Thursday at 694 N. Main St. to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Promise House Apartments. The site is run by Community Health Resources, a nonprofit that aims to help families and individuals who have been affected by mental illness, substance abuse, trauma, or homelessness.

The 12 apartments at Promise House Apartments are designated for young adults ages 18-25. While living there rent-free, residents will be connected with education, job training, health care, and life-skill resources that aim to help them become successful adults.

"The young adults who need this program are more in need now than ever," said Heather Gates, president and CEO of Community Health Resources.

Gates emphasized that Promise House is not a group home or clinical facility, but operates very differently.

The 12 efficiency apartments are similar to a studio apartment or those found in dormitories at colleges. Community Health Resources staff will be on-site throughout the day to help out tenants.

Maureen McGuire, vice president of business development and communications for Community Health Resources, emphasized that this program is unique in the state and country. A 13th apartment at the site will be home to a site adviser, who will act similarly to a resident adviser in a college dorm.

There are several common areas for cooking classes, exercise, and group activities.

While tenants live rent-free, they're expected to sign a lease that lists house rules and their responsibilities while living at the site. The leases are for 12 months, but Promise House is not time-restricted.

Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz said she was happy to celebrate "a place that can help young people who are experiencing homelessness because of mental illness, family violence, substance abuse issues," get on their feet and achieve independence.

Gates shared these sentiments and said the project was four years in the making after her organization responded to a request for proposal issued by the state Department of Housing. She said they developed a "unique model" of what a site like Promise House could look like, and teams of designers and architects helped to make a vision into a reality.

"We wanted Promise House to be able to provide a welcoming home-like environment and help connect tenants with the services they need," Gates said.

Vannessa Dorantes, commissioner of the state Department of Children and Families, said that it's important for agencies to continue to help young people even after they turn 18.

"Children don't age out of care, they age into life," Dorantes said. "Recognizing basic needs like housing, food, and everyday things we all need to survive, are necessary."

Bysiewicz and Gates emphasized that the COVID-19 pandemic caused problems for all residents, but especially those that are most vulnerable and at-risk of homelessness. Bysiewicz said that "there were several pandemics within the pandemic," like increased opioid and alcohol addiction and domestic violence issues.

"Our young people were tremendously affected," Bysiewicz said.

The Promise House project was funded through a competitive grant from the state Department of Housing awarded to Community Health Resources.

Gates thanked all the state organizations and groups that helped Promise House become fully realized.

"It takes a village to build these properties," Gates said.

For updates on Manchester and Bolton, follow Skyler Frazer on Twitter: @SkyFraCT, Facebook: SkyFraCT, and Instagram: SkylerFrazerJI to stay updated on his latest articles.