Juneau’s former downtown homeless shelter has been converted into seven affordable housing units, each with its own bathroom and kitchen.
Organizers said construction came in under budget, and they hope this project will inspire other people who own downtown property to create affordable housing.
One new resident, Mike Ricker, moved in on Monday. He hasn’t had a place to call his own in a long time.
“It’s a happy time,” he said. “A very happy time.”
So far, he’s tacked a University of Oregon Ducks blanket to the wall, set up a bed, and hung colorful and starched flannels in his closet.
He said he’s also excited about the view from his apartment, which overlooks part of downtown and the cruise ship docks.
“I can open this one, I can see the ships all the time,” Ricker said. “I like that.”
Nine people are moving in, starting this week. All have struggled with housing stability and worked with organizations in the Juneau Housing First Coalition, according to Glory Hall Deputy Director Kaia Quinto.
“I think we really tried to make it so that people who live here are people that wouldn’t get a chance — the normal landlords wouldn’t rent to, normally,” she said.
That could be because residents have felonies on their record, previous evictions, or bad credit.
Quinto has worked at the Glory Hall for a few years, and she said seeing this building be ready for move-in is a big payoff for her.
“I’m excited to see them just be able to live not on the street,” Quinto said.
Former Glory Hall Director Mariya Lovishchuk said they were able to fully fund the project with grants from the city and organizations like the Rasmuson Foundation and the Murdock Charitable Trust.
The Glory Hall closed the downtown shelter and soup kitchen in 2021 when its new facility near the airport opened. It took nearly a year for the city to grant a permit to turn the old building into affordable housing due to initial objections to building more housing in a landslide and avalanche hazard zone.
But Lovishchuk said once they got approved, the process was smooth.
“Working with the building department on this building, after we got the permit, it has been delightful,” Lovishchuk said.
She said the Glory Hall budgeted around $1.7 million for the project, but she expects costs to come in under that amount. Construction took less than a year. The building’s downstairs also generates revenue as commercial space. It’s occupied by Jellyfish Donuts.
“I really want people to get inspired and be like, ‘We should make housing in all of these buildings,’” she said.
The rent for each unit ranges from $1000 to $1300 a month, including utilities.
