Dear Friends, Partners, and Supporters,

As we close another year, I reflect deeply on both the trials and triumphs that have shaped St. John Center’s journey in Fiscal Year 2024. This year has tested our endurance and resiliency as an agency, but more significantly, it has tested the perseverance of our clients—our unhoused neighbors—whose struggles highlight the unyielding barriers they face every day. These trials have become tests of our collective strength and will, shaping the remarkable triumphs we are honored to celebrate with you.

The housing crisis in our community remains severe, particularly for those living at or below 30% of Area Median Income (AMI). The scarcity of affordable housing continues to strain our efforts to move people off the streets and into safe, stable homes. Yet, in the face of these systemic challenges, we’ve witnessed profound courage. The opioid crisis rages on, and the criminalization of homelessness adds another layer of hardship. Meanwhile, the lasting effects of COVID-19 have worsened health disparities, especially among the unhoused. Despite these obstacles, we continued to serve with purpose, expanding our services to meet a growing demand.

Trials: A Year of Endurance and Expansion

In Fiscal Year 2024, we took on new projects to better serve those in need. We completed critical renovations to our shelter bathrooms, making them room accessible and ADA-friendly—an improvement long overdue and essential for dignity and inclusion. Alongside Louisville Metro Government, we piloted an inclement weather program, placing some of the hardest-to-shelter individuals in hotel stays, coupled with supportive services. This initiative helped us prepare for the population we will serve at Sheehan Landing, part of our Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) Program. While we made strides with Sheehan Landing, our single-site housing development set to open in Spring 2025, we also expanded our scattered-site housing program in partnership with the Louisville Metro Housing Coalition.

Our work in response to the housing crisis was supplemented by our efforts to adapt financially. This year, we laid the groundwork to begin billing Medicaid for our supportive housing clients. This initiative will help ensure the long-term sustainability of our services, especially as we expand with Sheehan Landing.

Triumphs: Celebrating Strength, Partnership, and Progress

Despite these trials, Fiscal Year 2024 was a year of triumphs. Together, we served 3,070 people who visited our Day Shelter 51,676 times, providing not just shelter but comprehensive support. Over 70% of guests used additional social services, with 1,413 housing-related services provided to 551 individuals, demonstrating the critical need for holistic support.

In our Street Outreach Program, we connected with 837 people living in encampments, offering 7,839 services. Sixty-six individuals served by our outreach team moved into housing—a victory in the face of formidable barriers.

But perhaps our greatest triumph is the progress we’ve made at Sheehan Landing, where we look forward to moving 80 of our most vulnerable neighbors into permanent supportive housing in the Spring of 2025. This achievement is monumental, offering long-term stability to those who need it most.

Additionally, 99% of the 135 individuals in our Permanent Supportive Housing Program maintained their housing for 12 months or more, with 52% of participants gaining or maintaining income. These outcomes reflect the success of our mission to not only house but support individuals on their path to self-sufficiency.

One story that captures the heart of our work is that of G, a client of our Outreach Team. For years, G struggled with serious medical issues, including cancer, while living in makeshift shelters in the woods. His health deteriorated when his home was destroyed, and instability complicated his access to care. However, once G connected with our program, he was able to focus on his treatment. With even temporary stable housing through our hotel pilot program, he attended all his medical appointments and was declared cancer-free near the program’s end. This newfound stability allowed G to heal and to begin the housing process, where he is now on track to secure a permanent home.

Collective Triumph: Gratitude for Our Community

None of these victories would be possible without our dedicated staff, volunteers, partners, and donors. Fiscal Year 2024 was marked by an expansion of partnerships, which bolstered our capacity to serve more people in more meaningful ways. As we grow, we remain rooted in the values that guide us—housing first, partnerships,dignity, and a belief in the potential of every person we serve.

As we look ahead, we are both humbled and hopeful. While the challenges of affordable housing, public health, and economic disparity remain, the triumphs of this year remind us that together, we can create lasting change. We are immensely grateful for your unwavering support, and we invite you to continue this journey with us as we prepare to open Sheehan Landing and write the next chapter of our shared story.

Ra’Shann Martin

Executive Director, St. John Center