A dedication and ribbon cutting ceremony was recently held in Wilmington, NC for the new “Marvin E. Roberts II Transitional Living Facility,” a rehabilitation housing center for men and women recently released from the correctional system. Local officials and representatives from various partner groups, including the SECU Foundation were on hand to see the transformation of the former New Hanover County Jail Annex on Division Drive, into the new 46-bed transitional housing center. SECU Foundation, funded solely by State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) members, partnered with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA), providing a 0% construction loan to assist with funding for this renovation project. The Transitional Living Facility is sponsored by Leading Into New Communities (LINC) Inc.
Located in Wilmington, NC, LINC, a non-profit organization established in 1999, provides or coordinates supportive services to clients eighteen and older entering the program. Services include job and life skills training, job placement and case management, as well as medical and mental health services. LINC has been providing programs and services to men and women with criminal histories since 2000 achieving remarkable results, with only 8% of those assisted in the past five years returning to prison, compared with a re-offending rate of about 60% among most ex-prisoners.
Jim Barber, SECU Foundation Board Chair comments, “The Marvin E. Roberts II Transitional Housing Facility is yet another NCHFA supportive housing project that provides SECU Foundation and its members an excellent opportunity to help small
non-profit organizations address social challenges across North Carolina. This facility offers a safe housing environment and the proper tools to help clients regain control of their lives. SECU members are proud to be part of this project.”
“The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency is very pleased to be a funding partner with the SECU Foundation to make this new Transitional Living Facility a reality. When people walk out of prison, landlords aren’t exactly lined up saying ‘come live here’ and doors are not open to other alternatives. This is an opportunity to give people a chance to be successful in their community, to reduce recidivism and be a win-win for everyone,” stated Mary Reca Todd, NCHFA Supportive Housing Development Program Manager.