CAH celebrates Inn Transition renovations

PEABODY – Citizens for Adequate Housing celebrated the completed renovation of their Inn Transition site on Washington Street in Peabody Monday night.The project for the local non-profit dedicated to ending homelessness began three years ago.”We had been leasing the property for 17 years from a very compassionate and considerate property owner,” said Executive Director Nancy Crowder. “But we really wanted to control our destiny, to have the financial stability of knowing what our mortgage payments are going to be for the next 30 years and be able to do the renovation on the property.”And, ownership of the property makes the group eligible for state and city aid. They became the rightful owners last December and construction began soon after in January.”People worked really well together. It was a successful project, I believe,” said Crowder. “Many people were telling us we would never get the renovations completed in 12 months. We aimed for six and finished in eight.”The official date of completion was back in September, but the organization wanted to give its residents a chance to adjust and become acquainted with their new surroundings.Crowder said the $2.7 million renovation entailed redoing the entire interior, in addition to replacing the roof, bringing the building up to date in terms of emergency and fire codes, new brickwork, and replacing the gutters.”From what I’ve heard, families are actually enjoying the new building,” she said. “It seems to be comfortable for them and logical.”The 11 families originally living at the shelter were temporarily placed at a motel in Salem while work was being done.”These families have been?very flexible and courageous having been moved,” said Crowder. “So have our staff coping with this transition.”Now with more useful space, the Inn has room to house three more families than before, or approximately 14 families. And, each family will have more privacy than before with their own personal bathrooms and kitchenettes. There is also a large community kitchen, common lounges, and improved office space for staff.Come spring 2009, Crowder said the site will see a new playground for children of the shelter, as well as a new parking lot.Funding for the project and programs offered by Citizens for Adequate Housing come in part from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Transitional Assistance.