"This is my last resting place," said 76-year-old Cheryl Ames. She became homeless when she left her husband after 32 years due to his substance abuse. "How lucky can you be to have such a blessing like this? A home, a place you can call home and take care of everything around you."
Joy Community will be low-barrier, meaning there are fewer obstacles for people to stay there. Residents don't have to be sober, but they cannot have drugs on-site or be violent. They also must do chores.
There will be a kitchen, bathrooms and laundry, and residents will receive case management services. They'll pay a program fee to live there, up to $500.
Spearheading the project is Set Free Services, a faith-based social services nonprofit. One of the project's leaders is Chad McComas, founder of homeless services provider Rogue Retreat, who was terminated in 2022.
Shannon Sakoman will be the site manager once Joy Community is complete. She was formerly homeless herself and said the project has been a long time coming.
"I'm 50, and this needs to happen," she said emotionally. "Just being this far, it's amazing. I'm ready. I'm ready for it to be open."
The number of homeless seniors has increased in recent years. Nationally, about 20% of the homeless population is 55 or older.
Sakoman said she has a waitlist of over 120 people.
One soon-to-be resident, who gave his name as Ghost, said he's "really thankful" to have a place to live.
"It's going to help a lot of people. Not just me, but a lot of other people, and I don't know what I'd do without it. I'd probably end up dead somewhere in a ditch," he said.
Joy Community doesn’t have a scheduled opening date. The homes aren't completed yet, and electricity still needs to be hooked up.
So far, it’s cost about $600,000, all of which has been funded by donations.
Fern Gatson-Rush is one of the seniors who’s been selected to live there. At age 66, she said she’s looking for freedom, safety and stability.
"I'm going to enjoy living around people who are my age, people who are my age [and] have had or are having the same experience that I am, because it builds a sense of community," she said. "I'm very happy to have been chosen to come here, and the first thing I'm gonna do is sleep three good whole days."
