By Blox Content Management

Copyright berkshireeagle

Thanks to Louison House and a diverse funding stream, the Bracewell Youth Housing Project now stands as a new asset in the fight against homelessness in Northern Berkshire County.

In fact, the new youth supportive housing center in North Adams has been up and running for more than a month, and its first tenants moved in shortly after the approximately $2 million project was completed in July. Last week’s ribbon-cutting, though, was a welcome public acknowledgment of another small but meaningful step toward fully addressing the housing crisis squeezing Berkshire County as well as the rest of the commonwealth.

To be clear, we don’t call this a small step to belittle the spirit and work behind the welcome development of the Bracewell Youth Housing Project. We merely wish to be clear-eyed about the very issue it seeks to address. As we’ve consistently said, any production of new units in a housing crisis is a good thing.

And these seven new units on Bracewell Avenue are particularly good in that they extend a helping hand specifically to area youth struggling to find shelter. Spruced up with energy-efficient heat pumps, new plumbing and wiring, and a fresh coat of paint, this two-story building now houses six one-bedroom efficiencies and a two-bedroom unit for families, all for young adults ages 18 to 24. The 19th-century building’s antique wooden banister and ornate carved decoration were preserved during the upgrade, providing a bit of historic continuity.

This marks a laudable continuation of Louison House’s mission as the only comprehensive housing agency in Northern Berkshire County amid a regionwide housing crisis. What’s more, though, the specific demand for youth housing assistance that this project addresses underscores the depth of the region’s homelessness problem. Affordable housing opportunities are euding our young neighbors right as they take their first steps into adulthood. A 24-year-old tenant who moved into Bracewell Youth Housing Project when it was completed in July told The Eagle he previously had been homeless “off and on for a year.” He was grateful for the opportunity to have a roof over his head as he tries to establish a jewelry-making business.

There’s a sad commonality to this vignette and the many stories we’ve heard from countless Berkshire community stakeholders: People want to build a life here, and businesses want to hire people to come work here, but the existing housing stock cannot meet the region’s demand. Like any wicked problem, there are myriad contributing factors to the observed increase in homelessness, but a primary one is simple to diagnose if not easy to cure: We don’t have the amount of housing units we need. That means more people, including youth, without a place to call home.

We can’t look away from that sad truth, and we shouldn’t overlook housing advocates and organizations who are standing in the widening breach trying to do something about it. Louison House is one of those organizations. While we wish its mission were not necessary, we are grateful for its continued pursuit of that mission on behalf of its neighbors in need.