The vacant St. Ladislas Church on Columbus’ south side was purchased last month by the nonprofit Star House.
The Star House plans to turn the building into a second drop-in center for homeless youth between the ages of 14 and 24.
St. Ladislas has been vacant since 2023 and construction on the building is expected to be finished by 2026.
The property on Reeb Avenue is 26,000 square feet and includes the church, school and convent. The church’s sanctuary and kitchen area will be the drop-in center. Clinical services, legal aid, healthcare and Star House’s workforce development program will be offered at the location.
Star House’s other drop-in center is located in Columbus’ Milo-Grogan neighborhood. Both centers will offer the same services, including food, hygiene items, showers, clothing, therapy, case management, along with medical and legal services.
“We've nearly doubled the number of young people we've served since 2021, so we not only need to expand into the south side to meet the unique needs of young people who live in that neighborhood, but also to offset any sort of capacity issues we might have at our current location,” said Star House CEO Ann Bischoff.
“The most important thing is immediate access to safety, basic needs, and then all the resources a young person needs, not just to get housing, but to keep housing long term,” Bischoff said.
Star House has raised $7.4 million so far for the drop-in center’s operations. The Walter Foundation, the Wolfe family, the City of Columbus and two anonymous donors have created a $3 million match. This means that every dollar donated after those donations is doubled. Star House has raised $2 million toward that match.
On Monday, a $1 million donation from the City of Columbus was approved during a City Council meeting.
“These are children, and so our $1 million investment in this location is strategic, but it also just speaks to our city's morals,” said Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin.