KANE — On Jan. 6, Northwest Bank in partnership with the McKean County Redevelopment & Housing Authority announced that vacant portions of a building on Fraley Street would be renovated to provide transitional housing for youth between the ages of 18-24 who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
The grant, which totals $524,174, is made possible in part by a federal home loan bank grant, a press release explains. Dusti Dennis, executive director of the McKean County Redevelopment & Housing Authority, identified the building at 86-88 Fraley St. as the focal point for the renovations.
“We selected this particular building because the Goodwill Store occupies the commercial space,” Dennis explained.
“As a tenant, Goodwill Industries has a very successful operation in Kane and was willing to sign a long-term lease with the Redevelopment Authority providing immediate income to sustain the building while we planned for renovations and applied for funding,” she added.
“Also, Goodwill Industries provides vocational training and this will be a strong component to this transitional housing program,” said Dennis.
When asked if there were other similar programs locally, Dennis said there were not and went on to say, “We intend to partner with Goodwill Industries and other social service providers in the area to ensure that the youth we house receive all of the services they need to become self-sufficient and move on to permanent housing.”
Additionally, the Redevelopment Authority will have a housing case manager based out of its Kane office to support the program.
“We take the administration of our programs very seriously and want to be a good neighbor. We take care of our properties and follow up on community concerns,” stated Dennis.
To ensure clear communication of the grant and renovations, an informational meeting has been scheduled at the Kane Chamber of Commerce at 54 Fraley St. in Kane from noon to 1 p.m. Friday. The meeting is open to any resident with concerns or questions about the program or announcement.
