photo by: Contributed

Three duplexes of DCCCA's transitional housing development at 3015 W. 31st St.

A transitional housing development by DCCCA is expected to open in early summer 2026, providing support for women in recovery and their children, and the nonprofit is hosting a fundraising event to help raise money for furnishing the new duplexes in the development.

Nick McGovern, operations director of DCCCA, said what’s currently remaining in the development is the interior of each of the five duplexes.

“They’re doing the rough ends of the electrical and plumbing and laying out the tubs and HVAC,” McGovern said. “(We’re) pre-ordering cabinets, and drywall should be delivered in about four weeks. We’re hopeful for sidewalks in about four weeks. We’re trying to get ready for winter.”

A big part of completing the interior of the housing developments is a fundraising event, “Home Starts Here: A DCCCA Housewarming Benefit,” at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2, at the Jayhawk Club, 1809 Birdie Way. The funds raised will directly support the furnishing of the duplexes.

photo by: Contributed

DCCCA current and former board members recently attended a walk through of the housing duplexes in the transitional housing development.

The total campaign for the housing project was around $4.2 million, and this fundraising event is acting as the last leg of that campaign. The funds DCCCA raises from the event will be used to match a grant.

“It’s really designed to get us over that hump,” said Lori Alvarado, CEO of DCCCA.

There are several line items people can contribute toward, like washers and dryers, refrigerators, or other items to help outfit a room such as mattresses, sheets and towels.

The transitional housing development will include five duplex houses, meaning 10 individual housing units, along with a clubhouse. It will be on a portion of the property at 3015 W. 31st St., which is just east of the First Step treatment center, as the Journal-World reported. The treatment center offers care for women, and the new duplexes will accommodate the women and their children receiving treatment.

“The duplexes are not mirror images of each other,” Alvarado said. “So one side is a two-bedroom, one-bath, suitable for a mom with young children … and then the other side is a two-bedroom, two-bath. So again, we could put a family in there, but we could also put two women with an infant or a small child, and then they would each have their own bedroom.”

photo by: Contributed

The transitional housing development will be at 3015 W. 31st St.

The duplexes are being built by AU Construction, based in Lawrence. Within the new housing community, residents will have access to DCCCA services, including integrated treatment, educational pathways, employment support and child care.

Alvarado said with it being a transitional housing development, people will stay anywhere between six to nine months. She added that DCCCA will also be partnering with Tenants to Homeowners, and the organization will help manage the site and help move people in and out of the housing.

“The beauty of that is they are very connected in the community, with their own units, both permanent and both for renting and for purchasing,” Alvarado said. “So we’ll be working with them to transition women and men into the community to have stable, permanent housing.”

The project is in line with the joint city-county plan to end chronic homelessness in Douglas County, “A Place for Everyone.” The plan lists one of its priorities as transitional housing, and it mentions that Douglas County has a lack of transitional housing options. DCCCA will hire two additional staff members to assist with the initiative.

“One of the requirements for them to occupy a unit is to stay involved in treatment,” Alvarado said. “We know if we can keep somebody engaged in the treatment process for six to 12 months, we know their chance of recovery is about twice as high, so that’s what we’re trying to do.”

photo by: Contributed

DCCCA former and current board members recently attended a walk through of the housing duplexes in the transitional housing development.

Chris Kohart, a DCCCA board member, said he’s looking forward to making an impact in residents’ lives in two ways.

“Making sure that we’re ensuring that our residents can be as successful as possible, not just with their sobriety, but that transition back, that’s really difficult,” Kohart said. “And giving them time to find how they reintegrate into their communities. And two, we’re helping solve a problem that we have in Lawrence and across the country a lot, (which) is housing.”