ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – The welcome mat is out for a person or for a family living in homelessness as the city of Rock Hill’s Housing Development Corporation unveils its latest permanent supportive housing unit.
The “Holladay House”, named after community advocate, the late Jack Holladay is officially ready for a tenant on Bynum Avenue in Rock Hill.
The home originally belonged to Bleaker Blake, also known as Mrs. B. After she received support from the city of Rock Hill’s Housing Development Corporation in the 80’s, she learned about the need for supportive housing in the community and decided her house would be an ideal candidate for the program.
The Housing Development Corporation bought Blake’s home from her and Jack Holladay’s Wife, Lora donated to have the house restored.
Now the Housing Development Corporation will work with area shelters to find an applicant experiencing chronic homelessness to rent the house.
“I think this has all come full-circle. If you think about it someone who is a pillar in this community gave this gift to her community so it could keep on giving. That’s building her legacy as we also build Jack’s”, says Lora Holladay.
“Having this is great for the community. It is great for the individuals who are currently experiencing homelessness to have a roof over their head, to know where they are going everyday and living. So this is really an amazing opportunity for the community, for the shelters. The shelters are experiencing an influx of people staying in the emergency shelters and there’s no where for them to go, there’s no permanent housing or affordable units for them to go. So this kind of clears up some of the bottleneck that’s happening in the emergency shelter”, says Corinne Sferrazza with the city’s Housing Development Corporation.
Officials say the tenant will pay 30 percent of their rent and the supportive service agency they are with will pay the remaining amount and provide support. This makes the second Supportive Housing Unit with the city and leaders say more houses are the works.
An even cooler part of this story, Mrs. B even left her pound cake recipe for the new family.
