By Sara Foust, Codington County Welfare Director
Our community does great things when we work together! Last year the Housing Action Team decided to pursue a grant for Emergency Housing, so a new non-profit, Watertown Cares, was developed to oversee emergency housing. Last week the dream of having a safe place to help people get back on their feet became a reality. Watertown Cares welcomed their first residents this week. The facility, known as 612 Flats, has 8 units to house community members who currently do not have permanent housing. In addition to providing a safe place to stay and temporary address, residents work with a case manager towards the goals they identify that will help them get back on their feet.
For those who know the need and have worked tirelessly over the past year to make this happen, the process of securing funding, finalizing the building purchase, and completing renovations for occupancy has felt like an eternity. Today I sit back and reflect on how far we have come in such a short time. As someone who has been a social worker in Watertown for over 20 years, the need for emergency housing has always been evident. Having community support has long been viewed as a challenge. But the Housing Action Team showed the need, and when this community sees a need the support provided is amazing. I’m so proud of the way this community has worked together to meet the needs of all citizens.
Certificate of Occupancy was granted Monday, August 30 and people started being housed the next day. As of that Friday all 7 available units (the ADA room is still being completed) are full with 19 people living at 612 Flats. Ten of the residents were children. There were 19 people on the waiting list. These numbers are shocking, even to those of us who knew there was a need. We are looking forward to sharing success stories, but can already tell you that in a few short days of having an address residents can put on applications, they have applied for jobs, started working, registered children for school, and felt safe at night. Safe housing is life changing!
We are going to take a moment to enjoy this achievement, but we know the work is just beginning. South Dakota Housing Authority provided the grant for the building and the case management, but success moving forward will require community support.
We’re grateful for the support from the City, County, Prairie Lakes Healthcare System, and Watertown Area Community Foundation to help get things started. In order to continue this success, we know that we need safe, affordable places for people to move into. Fundraising will happen, housing options will be explored, and with the support of this community all citizens will have the opportunity to live safe, healthy lives.