“I’m excited. I’m overwhelmed,” said Walker, who took custody of Jasmine, 13, in 2021 after the death of her parents. “This means everything to us.”
Vermillion Place is designed as housing for kinship families - families in which a child is raised by a relative such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or sibling because the child’s parents are unable to provide care.
Jessica Salem, executive director of the Center for Community Health at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said affordable housing was the number one issue facing the kinship families the hospital works with.
“We know it’s a really great need in Dayton. We’re opening the doors,” Salem said.
There are 157 children in kinship placements in Montgomery County, Commissioner Judy Dodge said.
County HOME funds were used to finance the project, along with 4% low-income housing tax credits by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, City of Dayton HOME and American Rescue Plan funds, construction loans from First Financial Bank, Housing and Urban Development community project funds, and other public and private funding sources.
Dayton Children’s owns the properties, which will be managed by Wallick Communities - a New Albany-based company that develops, builds and manages affordable housing and senior living properties, including 20 in Dayton.
All 26 units at Vermillion Place have 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms and are compliant with the Americans with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Amenities include an on-site community room, outdoor space with playground, and easy access to parks and Dayton Children’s Hospital.
Housing is income-restricted. Housing costs should not exceed 40% of household income. Priority will be given to kinship caregivers with legal custody of the children in their care, especially those who have specific chronic health conditions.
Salem said there are 10 families on a waiting list, and she anticipates all 26 unites to be filled by January, though the federal government shutdown has slowed the signing process.
Stacy Porter, director of public relations for Dayton Children’s Hospital, said that while not a formal part, Vermillion Place ties in with the city’s DaVinci Project, which was launched in 2011 to develop and improve the Old North Dayton area.
The project included demolition of blighted buildings, construction of the Children’s Garden on Valley Street, and paint and home repair assistance programs for residents to clean up their properties.
Vermillion Place is built on land cleared through demolition projects. The homes are designed to reflect the area architecture.
“If this goes well, we can share what we’ve learned and maybe expand through the region,” Porter said.
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