Changing Lives Through Housing

Above: The Lumen Flats team and members of the Knoxville (TN) community celebrate the Grand Opening of their flagship housing option.

A Portfolio Company update: Lumen Flats

Lumen Flats Knoxville, an Elmington development, is dedicated to providing stable housing and wraparound support services for young adults aging out of the foster care system in Tennessee. On the left, the team celebrates the Grand Opening of the new housing option in Knoxville.

A SERIOUS NEED

Every year, thousands of young people across Tennessee turn 18 and age out of the foster care system and into a world full of uncertainty. Without a stable home or support network, the odds are steep. According to a study from Belmont University, 80% of youth aging out of foster care in Tennessee will experience homelessness, addiction, trafficking, or incarceration by age 21. Lumen Flats was built to change that. The first-of-its-kind apartment community in Knoxville, and the country, serves young adults ages 18–24 who are aging out of foster care, for up to 36 months.

A video from Elmington (below) offers an insightful look into Lumen Flats and the people God is using to bring this project to life.

WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

As one of the largest affordable housing developers in the country, Elmington was asked by the Tennessee Governor’s Office to help find a solution to one of the greatest needs of this vulnerable population - stable housing. When Elmington heard about the horrific statistics of what happens to young adults aging out of foster care in their state, they knew they had to get involved. Elmington came in with knowledge of the affordable housing world, which requires expertise to navigate well. Pairing their knowledge of housing with the understanding that young adults also need a supportive adult relationship and access to mental health therapy to be successful in becoming independent, Elmington partnered with government agencies, local nonprofits, and service providers to bring Lumen Flats to life.

The project is a landmark collaboration between Elmington Capital, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Tennessee Department of Children's Services (DCS), and Knoxville's Community Development Corporation(KCDC). Each of the 18 units is backed by a project-based Foster Youth to Independence (FYI) voucher, initiating a deliberate departure from the traditional Housing Choice voucher model, which often left young people without options. Instead of a landlord having to agree to take a young adult who's coming out of foster care who has no credit, no rental history, no cosigner, they use the vouchers on the specific unit to only be used by kids who age out of foster care. Each resident is paired with a mentor to help them settle in, and volunteers are welcome to share meals, teach life skills, and help build real community.

PRIORITIZING MENTAL HEALTH

Beyond housing, Lumen Flats offers on-site mental health and education resources through DCS, with support available to residents for up to three years.

"Our hope is that with the support of DCS counselors who are here on site, these young people, at the end of their three years, will have access to jobs, opportunities, education, so that they're ready to thrive and be on their own in a more successful, stable way once they turn 21."

- Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon

LOOKING AHEAD

Whether it is carried out by other private developers or the government, Elmington is hopeful that the Lumen Flats model is something that can be repeated both in the state of Tennessee and across the country.

To learn more about Lumen Flats and Elmington and Elevates, visit their website.