Kinser Flats is the first permanent supportive housing development designed to support homeless individuals with addictions in Indiana. Some may also have co-occurring mental health disorders.
Located in Bloomington, the development features 50 one- and two-bedroom furnished units supported by project-based Section 8 vouchers plus a manger’s unit.
Residents receive housing care management to help them remain successfully housed, and the Centerstone Recovery Team is located on the first floor to assist residents with mental, physical, and chemical support services.
“At Kinser Flats, we’re serving in the neighborhood of 70 people, so we’re having a significant impact on homelessness in Bloomington,” says Dan McNeely, director of supportive housing services at Centerstone.The development provides important new housing options and resources to the community, he says, explaining that people with substance-use disorders are often ineligible for other housing programs.
Centerstone is the nonprofit owner, co-developer, and community mental health service provider. It partnered on the $10.8 million project with Milner & Caringella, a firm experienced in developing permanent supportive housing. The presiding judge of the Monroe Country Drug Court was also a supporter, understanding that homelessness can be a barrier for court participants to stay clean.
Residents include a mother who fled a domestic violence situation. Living at Kinser Flats with her children, she has been sober and has maintained employment for over a year.
Recognizing the development’s special population, the team incorporated aspects of trauma-informed design into the community. Warm natural colors are used throughout the building, and nature-themed art is found in the activity rooms. The colors are also part of a wayfinding system to guide people through their physical environment.
Other trauma-informed elements include wide, well-lit hallways lined with windows and open staircases that create open sightline views, giving residents and staff the ability to easily see others.
