Providence Housing Corp. completes seventh phase of expansion

Eleven Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods joined Sister Jenny Howard, SP, and others on Thursday, June 23, to bear witness to the Congregation’s fruits of labor regarding affordable housing for those 62 and older in West Terre Haute, Indiana.

Sisters Donna Butler, Therese Clare Carr, Theresa Costello, Kathleen Desautels, Ann Matilda Holloran, Arlene Knarzer, Carol Lindly, Mary Ann McCauley, Paula Modaff, Mary Montgomery and Kathleen Bernadette Smith traveled from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods to West Terre Haute that day to see how Providence Housing Corporation, Inc., had completed its seventh phase of expansion.

This phase included two one-bedroom units, eight two-bedroom units and an addition to the All Place Community Center. The housing corporation now has 74 total units of affordable housing to offer in West Terre Haute.

The sisters who attended the open house for the new units were provided with a brief history of the Providence Housing ministry from Sister Jenny, who has been involved with the housing units since it began. They also enjoyed refreshments and had an opportunity to ask questions about the facility.

Sister Jenny said the roots of the housing units stem from the Congregation’s 1996 General “Possibilities” Chapter.

The gift to the Pope, at the time of the beatification of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin in 1998, launched the official beginning of Providence Housing Corporation.

“On the occasion of the beatification of Mother Theodore Guerin, our foundress, we, the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, recall the generosity of the pioneer family of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods who offered housing to Mother Theodore and her five companions when they reached the dense forests of Indiana in 1840 only to find themselves homeless. It is fitting that we, her daughters, respond now to the housing needs of our neighbors in West Terre Haute, by establishing a revolving loan fund of $50,000 which will help to make adequate housing available to those who could not otherwise afford it,” Sister Jenny said.

“Providence Housing has more than 150 persons currently on our waiting list, so we know that the housing needs continue to be great. We have a wonderful and caring community here.”

Providence Housing Corporation Director Lynn Holloman said there are more phases in the works for the facility to expand in the future. But for now, they still have to deal with the waiting list of now more than 200 people who are trying to become residents.

“We work very hard to take care of our residents,” Lynn said. “And there is still a lot of need out there.”