The Sunset Motel’s conversion into a homeless shelter in Athens received a $2 million funding boost to expand the project
By: Charlie Ihlenfeld
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – An additional $2 million from the state will allow an Athens homeless shelter now under development to offer more space and amenities.
“We’ll be working with the shell of the property then rebuilding back in,” said Eva Bloom, director of development at Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, or HAPCAP. “Really a complete overhaul of the existing structure.”
As homelessness rates have climbed across the state, the city of Athens has lacked an emergency shelter to assist residents. With the Sunset Shelter, the city can help one of its most vulnerable populations.
“Folks at the beginning of their journey to rebuilding their lives will be able to get some stability by having a place to call home,” said Bloom.
The Sunset Shelter will operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
The shelter is an important step for the community to tackle the issue of housing insecurity. Athens County falls well below an adequate level of housing, especially for lower-income residents.
For people with extremely low income, those with $17,300 or less yearly, there are 3,515 households to just 1,965 units, according to a report by Ohio University’s Voinovich School. Active housing listings declined 63% between July 2016 and July 2024. Prices jumped 67% during the same period.
While Ohio has far from the highest rates of homelessness in the country, the numbers climbed by 11% last year, according to the Center on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio. A significant shortage of affordable housing has been the main culprit for these rising rates.
With the new money from the Ohio Department of Development, the project timeline has been changed. Now, HAPCAP envisions the shelter could be open as soon as spring 2026, but more likely, it will open in the second half of 2026.
Plans for the shelter will be completed in the next month, and from there, HAPCAP will work with RVC Construction to begin renovation. Bloom expressed gratitude for the grant to the area.
“We’re grateful for the investment in the Appalachian region. Historically, we have received less investment, and so, we’re really excited about the faith the Department of Development has put in.”
(Editor’s Note (6/13/25): A previous version of this article incorrectly named RVC Construction. It also refereed to the shelter as the first “publicly run” in Athens, when instead it is the first emergency shelter in Athens. The article has been updated to correct those errors.)