Northern Nevada HOPES announced today the Capital Campaign to complete the construction of Hope Springs is complete, thanks in large part to a donation from the William N. Pennington Foundation. Hope Springs will open in January 2021 and provide sustainable short-term housing intensive and support services for our community’s most vulnerable.
Hope Springs, will be operated by Northern Nevada HOPES (HOPES) and will include 30 units, in addition to a central facility with showers, restrooms, a kitchen and community space, including a garden and dog park. Individuals interested in becoming residents will go through a rigorous screening process to determine readiness for program participation. Residents will likely remain in the homes an average of four to six months before moving to more permanent housing as they achieve milestones and ultimately “graduate” from the program. Program participants will receive intensive case management, including the coordination of medical care, behavioral health, workforce development and more.
Hope Springs is a first-of-its kind solution to our areas housing and homelessness crisis; it is not a homeless shelter, but rather an intentional bridge-housing community where prospective residents will be screened for readiness and be required to work their individualized care plan, while having access to HOPES’ wrap-around medical and wellness support services.
“We are so grateful for all the support we received from the community helping us raise over $1.6mil and especially grateful to the William N. Pennington Foundation for believing in the project and donating nearly $900,000 to complete the capital campaign,” said Sharon Chamberlain, Chief Executive Officer at Northern Nevada HOPES.
“The Pennington Foundation focuses on projects and institutions that demonstrate sound management, self-help, and a broad base of community support”, said the late William N. Pennington. “Having grown up during the Great Depression, when my family faced very difficult times, I know very well the hardships that can befall anyone at any time.”
“Hope Springs is a true community effort, we’ve received great support from local partners and 90 percent of the construction of Hope Springs, including materials and contractors was locally sourced,” said Chamberlain.
The individual shelter village concept was originally spearheaded by a coalition of community members including City of Reno Councilmember Neoma Jardon, Abbi Whitaker of the Abbi Agency, Bob Conrad of ThisisReno.com, Volunteers of America, ACTIONN, RISE, Northern Nevada HOPES and other partners to address our region’s shortage of affordable housing and shelter options.
The completion of the Capital Campaign paves the way for Hope Springs to not only assist those experiencing homelessness, but also, provide respite to our economy.
Homelessness not only affects the unhoused person itself, but also affects taxpayers who help fund services unhoused individuals encounter, including jails, hospitals, social services and shelters averaging $35,578 tax payer dollars each year according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development says that individuals who receive supportive housing, like Hope Springs, experience marked reductions in shelter use, hospitalizations, length of stay per hospitalization and time incarcerated. HOPES has determined that it will cost $14,226 to provide bridge housing and wrap-around services to one individual. Based on these numbers, for every individual provided with services at Hope Springs, $21,352 will be saved in taxpayer costs.
“If Hope Springs’ assists 60 individuals with bridge housing each year, an approximate $1,281,120 public costs will be saved in our community,” said Neoma Jardon, Reno City Councilmember.“In times like these, seeing projects that find solutions to our community’s most pressing issues, while provide cost-savings to our taxpayers are simply invaluable.
Hope Springs will be located at 1920 E. 4th Street and Chamberlain expects the first 10 residents to move in at the beginning of 2021. To learn more about Hope Springs and opportunities to contribute to the development and sustainability of the project, visit nnhopes.org/hopesprings.
