The plans for the former McKinley School Building in Manitowoc has changed.
A coalition of local homeless recourses known as “The Neighborhood” had planned to take over the building and turn it into a combination warming shelter and transitional housing, but Pastor Matt Sauer says they are adjusting their plans.
While on WOMT’s Jim and Rick Show, Pastor Sauer noted that the group has decided to withdraw their conditional use permit request because they want to find a way to separate the warming shelter and the transitional housing aspects.
“Now, as we are looking at being able separating those two spaces, that requires a different CUP applied for,” he explained. “Nothing is set in stone. It’s all about finding out what is the best need to address the housing needs in this community.”
Some members of the community raised concerns regarding the intermingling of people in the homeless population that are in different points in their journey, which the members of “The Neighborhood”, comprised of members of The Haven, Hope House, and the Manitowoc Warming Shelter, agreed with.
Along with general security, many homeowners around the McKinley building also raised concerns regarding their property value.
Pastor Sauer stated that having a vacant building in the area is already hurting their property value, and that this project would fix that.
He pointed to “a lot of studies that say that when you have a well maintained shelter or transitional apartments…that property values actually go up because you turn that into a safe space.”
Sauer also assured residents that security is a high priority with the project.
He stated, “Let me really reassure folks that these apartments would be actually safer than a traditional apartment complex because these people would have gone through Hope House and The Haven already.”
The delay may be keeping some of Manitowoc County’s most vulnerable on the street for a while longer, but as Jim Medley said on the show, “If you are going to do it, you might as well do it right.”
Sauer agreed, saying “We want to do it right with the community. We want to do it right with the city. The goal isn’t to push your way into one thing. It’s what’s best for the housing.”
Sauer closed his interview asking for anyone with any concerns to bring them forward because “Until we have a real dialogue, we cant be the best we can be.”
You can hear the full interview, and comments from listeners by going to SeehaferPodcast.com, or follow The Jim and Rick Show on the PodBean App, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.
