Single parents who served in the military - including some who have found themselves homeless - will have a place to live later this year following the completion of a project whose partners involve a local ministry and a professional hockey team's charitable foundation.
Work will soon get underway to convert the former Humboldt YMCA building on East Ferry in Buffalo into what will be known as the Patriot Heights Apartments. In addition to 16 to 18 apartments for homeless parents who served in the military.
"On the first floor, however, we're going to have community services for all the neighborhood children, as well as the veterans and those who are housed here's children, pre-school, after-school," said Cliff Benson, president of the Buffalo Sabres Foundation, one of the project's partners. "In the park next door we're going to build a dek (usually plastic or synthetic surface) hockey rink. We're trying to serve a large population out of one building."
Benson revealed that the hockey team's charitable foundation had previously sought to develop another block on the East Side but this building provided an opportunity to include housing and services in one place.
The Sabres Foundation and several equity partners helped Saving Grace Ministries acquire the building last month. Also working in partnership is the True Community Development Corporation.
The apartments are expected to be ready in about seven months, but first-floor activities could be ready sooner, said Rev. Terry King, CEO of Saving Grace Ministries.
"There's a lot of plans underway that will be announced in the fall," Rev. King said. "Those plans will include programming, youth activity, recreation. There's a lot of exciting things that are being developed here, and will be unfolding as the months come."
