LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A brand-new shelter and resource center is under construction.

The Community Care Campus in Louisville will provide shelter, medical care and other services to people experiencing homelessness.

What You Need To Know

  • The Community Care Campus in Louisville will provide shelter, medical care and other services to people experiencing homelessness

  •  The site is expected to be fully open in 2027

  •  This winter a transitional family shelter is expected to open

  • The project is estimated to cost over $58 million

The roughly 3.9-acre property in Smoketown is getting renovations to help the houseless population.

“This building will be renovated to accommodate families temporarily during the winter months and then this other building will be demolished and that will become medical respite UofL, Norton Health Care, Family Health Centers,” said Jennifer Hancock, president and CEO of Volunteers of America.

Volunteers of America was selected by the metro government to develop a masterplan and to operate the campus when it opens

“Our families will have hot meals and warm beds, they'll have access to so much more as well. Parents will benefit from a multitude of supportive services to help them regain housing and return to self-sufficiency,” said Hancock.

According to the Coalition of the Homeless there were 11,000 people experiencing houselessness in Louisville in 2021.

The former Vu Hotel will become a family shelter with about 29 units. It will have a dining room, family room, playgrounds and more. When the entire project is done there will be a total of 80 affordable housing units.

“This will essentially put an end to family homelessness in our community,” said Hancock.

The project is estimated to cost over $58 million. 22.5 million dollars is coming from the general assembly.

“To the individuals involved that make a decision to make this the priority of $200 million we earmarked, let me congratulate you not for prosperity, but taking care of the poor, the injured and the needy,” said (R) State Senator Robert Stivers.

The former Guest House will be turned into temporary shelter during the winter months serving 15 to 20 families this winter.

“We can transform this space redeveloped to be beautiful, to be home, very welcoming to all sorts of folks in our community who are dealing with a variety of challenges,” said Hancock.

Volunteers for America mid-states will move its headquarters to the community care campus. It will employee around 75 people.

The campus is estimated to be completed by 2027.

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