Apartment complex for those in need begins construction on Mather Street

GREEN BAY – In March construction officially began on the New Community Shelter’s latest project to help support those without a home in the Green Bay community. This $14,000,000 project will provide 41 apartments to those who have struggled with homelessness and gone through New Community Shelter’s program. New Community Shelter has been providing rehabilitation and rehab programs for those without a home in the community since 1994.

CEO at New Community Shelter, Terri Refsguard explained how this project started, “I thought, ‘this program isn’t rounded out. We don’t want people circling back in and why are they?’ so I thought, ‘Wouldn't it be cool if we had our own apartment complex?’”

These apartments will be across the street from their main building on Mather Street in Green Bay and will be single apartments only, no roommates will be permitted. Refsguard’s main goal is to see the returning individuals of their program have a safe and spacious place to call their own.

“I hope to get some of those people who have never been to the New Community Shelter that are chronic individuals (those who find themselves returning to homelessness), maybe living in parks, under bridges, that type of thing, to give the New Community Shelter a shot,” Refsguard said.

Green spaces and physical fitness areas will also be included in the complex and a case manager that helped them during the program will continue to support them at the apartments every now and then.

Refsguard mentioned, “Our case managers very much work as coaches. They walk beside the person helping them. The residents set their goals and the case manager helps keep them on track with their action plan.”

Working towards your goals, staying sober and drug free and not having people over are the main rules that residents will have to follow. With the new addition of the apartment complex, there will be three living areas for program members. Emergency shelter is the first area where they can host up to 98 individuals, both men and women, in dorm style living spaces with eight to a room.  Rooms are split on the floor between men and women and they have a curfew of 10 p.m. in which they will be breathalyzed to make sure they maintain sobriety.

Refsguard explained the importance of community members to maintain sober, “The worst thing I want is for [someone in the program] to be working on sobriety and then sitting at dinnertime next to somebody who smells like alcohol, you know, it just doesn’t help the situation.”

Once those in emergency housing obtain any sort of income, they are moved to the transitional apartments, which are in the same building. There are 20 apartments, with five reserved for veterans, and residents may stay for up to two years, the average time being eight months, at which they then move into their own housing in the area.

“Everyone that lives [in transitional apartments] has to save 70% of their income… We want people to save enough money so a car repair or a medical bill doesn’t send them right back into homelessness,” Refsguard said.

New Community Shelter’s support doesn’t stop at those who are not in their program, for all community members in need, they serve dinner meals at their facility. 

Refsguard claimed, “The only thing we ask is that people are peaceful and sober. And if they’re not, we will give them a bag lunch. Nobody goes away without food.”

Through this, they serve around 200 community members every night.

“It’s too big of an issue to say ‘we’re going to end homelessness’. But we can, one person at a time. We can end homelessness for one person at a time, and that adds up,” Refsguard noted.