The Place at Jackson to fill the gap for women experiencing homelessness

A new transitional home for women is set to open in Madison Co. this year. 

The Place at Jackson is a six-bed home for women experiencing homelessness. The idea was started by two Jackson police officers– Lt. Rochelle Staten and Capt. Danielle Jones. 

“We were looking at a place for this, and a place for that. A place for women to go in emergency situations. A place for people who don’t fit into other programs. So we’re the place,” said Amy Coleman, the lead advocate for The Place at Jackson. 

The goal for The Place at Jackson is to fill the gap of other transitional homes in Jackson. While there are homes for men, and women with children, it’s harder for single women without children to find a place to stay. 

The plan is to work with other organizations like the Dream Center, Scarlet Rope, recovery centers, and the Jackson Police Department to place women in the home. The women will be allowed to stay up to two years, or until they are stable enough to find a place of their own.

“I have been an advocate in this field for a while now,” Coleman said, “One of the most requested things I hear is that people are out on the street and need a place to go. Sometimes it’s women and sometimes it’s men. I just know that safe housing is, especially for people who struggle with addiction or mental health challenges, a basic need.”

The initial estimates to fund The Place at Jackson is $300,000. That will cover the rent, utilities, food, program costs, and two paid staff members.

The Jackson City Council approved $100,000 to go toward the house in their January meeting. Coleman says they have raised more through a gala they had last year. They are also working on grant funding through the Department of Housing and Urban Development. 

“We want to provide as many services as we can through volunteers, but it just honestly takes a lot of money to house people for two years,” Coleman said.

The Place at Jackson is expected to open sometime in the next couple months, once full-time staff are hired. 

Coleman says they are still looking for donations and volunteers, and they are especially in need of an eight-passenger van and volunteers to drive residents to appointments. 

Donations can also be made at the WRAP Office at 512 Roland Ave. in Jackson.  Julia Ewoldt, julia@jacksonpost.news