Hotel for the homeless coming to Jeffersonville

JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WHAS11) — A rundown brick building in Jeffersonville will soon serve the homeless near Court and Michigan avenues.
The old J&J Video building in Jeffersonville will be converted into a hotel and be used as transitional housing for the homeless by the Jesus Cares at Exit 0 organization.

A new place for people like “Cowboy,” who said he has lived on the streets for years.

“I was living and eating out of dumpsters for the first four months. I finally came back from North Carolina to discover Exit 0,” Cowboy said.

A viaduct off I-65 at Exit 0 has been a temporary resting place for many in the homeless community and Jesus Cares at Exit 0 is doing their part to help the people staying under the viaduct. The group serves approximately 1,900 meals to roughly 50 homeless at Exit 0 every month.

Last night, the City Council voted down the group’s request for zoning to use the vacant building on  Michigan Avenue as a Day Center.

“We actually offered Exit 0 assistance locating a property that would allow them to do what they were proposing and that was permitted. They did not take us up on that offer,” Shane Corbin, director of Planning and Zoning in Jeffersonville, said.

“If they want to continue to operate they have to change their operations to work within the zoning code,” Ed Zastawny, Jeffersonville City Council president, said.

That’s what they will do – provide a hotel that is up to the city’s building codes. There will be enough room for about 15, while helping them find a job.

Paul Stensrud, Jesus Cares at Exit 0 Founder, said: “What we’re looking to do is basically a transition where we can help them get off the streets and provide them with the love and the hope the ministry does and make sure they’re on the right path.”

For Luther McKnight, the hotel will be a life-changing opportunity.

“You wouldn’t have to worry about where you lay your head. Plus he’s got computers we can do our job searches down there,” McKnight said.

Strensrud said the group hopes to get everything up and running in a couple weeks with help from local churches.

http://www.whas11.com/news/Homeless-motel–143494986.html *Video at WHAS 11