Grand opening of Park Apartments

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Toledo community leaders held the grand opening of the new Park Apartments, a $15 million, 45-unit affordable housing apartment building for young adults emancipating out of foster care and dealing with homelessness.

“Providing safe, permanent housing where young people with disabilities can write new chapters of their lives is an epic achievement for Toledo,” Lucas Metropolitan Housing (LMH) President and CEO Senghor Manns said during a press conference and ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the new building, located on a half-acre site at 201 Knapp St., south of downtown in the Middlegrounds neighborhood.

“This truly is a mission accomplished moment for which all Ohioans can be proud,” said Manns. “The Park Apartments will serve as a model for the nation on how to bring affordable housing stability to the lives of young people ages 18-24 who have a disability and are currently homeless, or who are struggling to survive by living in shelters or sleeping in cars.”

Thursday’s grand opening completes the transformation of one of Toledo’s former landmarks into a beautiful new structure that will offer a comprehensive list of social service programs to help young adults as they enter an important next phase of their lives and that proponents say will have a major and meaningful impact on the youths’ long-term future.

Community leaders say the apartments are more than just housing; it’s a chance to build stability, hope, and a brighter future for young people who deserve every opportunity to thrive.

Local leaders estimate approximately 3,000 people between the ages of 18 and 24 with disabilities live in Lucas County, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. At the same time, as many as 2,088 K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2023-2024 school year in Lucas County, with approximately 1,700 youths enrolled in Toledo Public Schools, according to the most recent Toledo-Lucas County Homelessness Board data.

An estimated 2.5 million youths nationally per year experience homelessness. Along with losing their home, community, friends and routines, as well as their sense of stability and safety, many homeless youth are also victims of trauma.

While trying to survive on the streets, youth are exposed to countless dangers, with an increased likelihood of substance abuse, early parenthood, impulsivity, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and a vulnerability to being trafficked.