FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Construction on a new transitional shelter for families experiencing homelessness will get started this week.
Leaders say Vincent Village’s $18 million investment marks further progress on the Southeast Fort Wayne development strategy. That plan includes the upgrades to the Pontiac Street corridor, the opening of the Pontiac Street Market, and numerous mixed-use housing investments.
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The following was released:
On Wednesday, August 6, at 10:00 a.m., Vincent Village will be commemorating the official start of construction for their new transitional shelter for families at 2827 Holton Av. It is the culmination of an almost $18 million initiative to further anchor their 30-plus-year ministry for generations to come.
“Our entire history was built on families helping families,” said Vincent Village board chair, John Christensen. “Bedrock families in our community such as the Weigands, Tippmanns and Bonahooms joined together in 1989 to create a haven for families in need and the rest is history.
“In 2025, the names of supporters have expanded to include the Suracks, the Glazes, the James’, the Ashs, and so many others, but the same commitment of support from one family to another continues to drive the mission and vision of Vincent Village,” he said.
Vincent Village is the only transitional shelter that keeps families together when overcoming the issues and challenges that lead to homelessness. Families can stay in the transitional shelter for up to two years before graduating to the second phase of Vincent Village where they can receive subsidized rent for up to five years in one of 30 homes owned by Vincent Village in the neighborhood.
The re-building project was initiated when Mayor Sharon Tucker was executive director of Vincent Village and was prompted by the challenges of maintaining old buildings that were never designed to do what Vincent Village needed them to do.
“I am continuously amazed by what the previous staff and volunteers did to make the most of a decommissioned church, school and rectory over the last 30 years,” said current Vincent Village Executive Director, Rob Haworth.
“They were creative, innovative, frugal and extremely generous to make the most of century-old buildings, but Mayor Tucker and the Vincent Village board correctly recognized that now was the time. “Too many funds were being usurped by building maintenance instead of client services and programming with no end in sight,” Haworth said.
Broad community support for Vincent Village came quickly and impactfully – as well as Legacy funds, READI Funds and New Market Tax Credits – collectively helping Vincent Village exceed original funding goals in just a 20-month period from project exploration to ground-breaking.
“We could not be more humbled by the outpouring of support for our mission to help end the generational cycle of homelessness one family at a time,” Christensen said.
“We had an incredible team of experts helping and guiding us along the way and even with a change in executive directors when Sharon Tucker was appointed mayor, we were still able to secure a robust and well-balanced capital stack of federal, regional and local funding.
“When we focus on the simple reality of what is possible when families help families, great things happen. We could not be more excited about the future of Vincent Village,” Christensen said.
The new structure was designed with the programming and support needs of the clients and staff as the main priority. Plus, for the first time in their history, the Vincent Village staff and the clients will be under the same roof and be able to cross paths and grow in community on a daily basis. The new structure will also allow Vincent Village to expand the number of families served without increasing the size of its staff.
Construction is scheduled to be completed in August 2026, after which the client families will move into the new structure and the existing shelter will be demolished to make room for a new parking lot. This ensures seamless and uninterrupted services to Vincent Village clients throughout the process.
Vincent Village’s $18 million investment marks further progress on the Southeast Fort Wayne development strategy that includes the upgrades to the Pontiac Street corridor, the opening of the Pontiac Street Market, and numerous mixed-use housing investments.
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