The New Chapter Housing Initiative in Roanoke has started their new program of providing low- rental homes to give second chances to ex- inmates.
According to wdbj7.com, Delegate Sam Rasoul had revealed on Wednesday that the program will enable ex- offenders to fix donated and neglected homes and then rent the place for a much lower cost. Corbin Prydwen, the program's licensed contractor and also an ex- offender, will oversee the whole project. He said in an interview "If my parents would not have been gracious enough to take me back in and allow me opportunity, I would have had nowhere to go. The streets would have been my only option and I'm sure I would have gone back to prison. So to be able to offer some housing and support and stability, that's the first step in getting someone's mindset changed to becoming a better member of society."
The program and the first property was owned by God's House Baptist Ministry which was established last 2004 by Rev. Floyd Davis. The soon- to- be renovated home can accommodate a family of five people. Pastor Floyd Davis said during the announcement, "We are extremely excited to be able to give those who need a second chance at housing. We believe in forgiveness. We believe that a person can begin again."
Currently, the said church will finance the renovations but they are seeking also for donations as the cost is estimated to reach $40,000. The program is also hopeful that they will be able to house ex- inmates by the end of the year, according to roanoke.com.
The church will not also help in providing low- rental homes but also with job placements. God's House will be working with TAP and VIrginiaCARES for the placement and other support services. The program aims to provide an avenue for ex- offenders to start anew in joining the community again.
Rasoul has been working on the project for almost a year now and he said "When you have someone coming out and it's difficult for them to find a job and they don't qualify for any housing support, how do you stabilize their lives. Many times their lives are not stabilized, and that's part of why more than two-thirds of the time they end up right back in the system."
