The old Rofihe’s building is getting a new lease on life as part of a youth and family services centre.
Freeman House and its community partners are turning the building into a hub for transitional housing and a storefront for community supports services for underserved adults, youth, and families.
Art Fisher, executive director of Freeman House and Family Service Association of Western Nova Scotia, says the old Rofihe’s building will act as a one-stop shop.
Services will be provided on the main floor, and housing units for families and individual men will be located on the top two.
The hope is to keep people from falling through the cracks.
“What typically happens instead in communities is that people often go door to door and hear ‘sorry, this is the wrong door, you have to go over there for that’ and what this process means is there is no wrong door,” says Fisher.
Donna Crozier is with the Housing Support Program with Family Services of Western Nova Scotia and Harbour House.
She says the hub will help young men transition from correctional facilities back to community.
“Getting access to things like income, employment, education, medication has been a huge thing with our nurse practitioner program, so these young men now will also be able to access housing.”
There will also be transitional housing for families on the second floor while all the commuity services will be on the main floor.
Fisher says the hope is to start renovations this fall and have the new centre running by March.
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
