By Debbie Adams
Impact Living Services, the Town of Vinton, the Vinton Chamber of Commerce, and the
Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce held a ground-breaking ceremony on May 29 to mark
the beginning of construction of affordable housing in Vinton for youth aging out of the foster
care system.
the Town of Vinton, the Vinton Chamber of Commerce, and the Roanoke Regional Chamber
joined forces on May 29 for a groundbreaking ceremony to provide housing for youth aging out
of foster care. (photo by Debbie Adams)
According to Impact Living Services (ILS), “The ceremony signified a collaborative effort
between Impact Living Services, local government agencies, community partners, and dedicated
individuals committed to improving the lives of vulnerable individuals in Virginia.”
ILS Vice President and Executive Director Adam Pavao said, “This was a really big day for
Impact Living Services! Today we broke ground on six duplexes (12 apartments) in Vinton. We
are thrilled at the generosity of others and community partnerships that allow for us to provide
housing opportunities to youth transitioning into adulthood.”
“In the United States alone, over 20,000 young people age out of the foster care system annually,
facing significant challenges as they navigate the transition into adulthood without stable housing
or a support system,” said Cassie Penha, Communications Director for Impact Living Services.
“Affordable housing for this population is critical as it works to combat the devastating outcomes
typically faced by youth who age out of foster care, such as homelessness (40%), incarceration
(20%), or pregnancy at a young age (70% of girls).”
“Independent Living” is one of the services ILS offers to foster positive outcomes for youth,
families, and communities. Penha explains that the Independent Living program “provides
comprehensive, supportive services for foster youth, ages 17-21, surrounding participants with
natural supports to help them navigate the difficult changes faced by this age group.”
“Impact promotes ‘interdependence’ as a core belief in helping youth achieve their educational,
vocational, and financial goals. Interdependence is a concept of ‘mutual dependence between
things’ such as community, friends, staff, the Department of Social Services, and counselors.
Youth are most successful when they achieve lifelong permanency through these various
avenues.”
The ILS team believes that the Vinton project is a prime location with 12 apartments to be
leased. Most of the youth who will be living in the Vinton apartments are from the greater
Roanoke area. Many have spent their years in foster care locally.
“Impact Living staff do not live in the units with the tenants, but they do check-in with the youth
daily as they support their goals for success,” Penha noted. “The youth are each at a different place in their educational journey, be it completing high school, working on a GED, or
taking college classes. Employment is one of the requirements for youth renting one of our
properties.
“Impact Living Services has a number of funding sources for the housing program, including
insurance that is billed, contracts with localities across the state, and a number of generous
donors.
“Youth may take advantage of these resources until the age of 21,” Penha says. “Our team
members prioritize working with youth to have stable housing options (along with work
experience and education) by the time they move out – we have one youth in Roanoke who is
even on the cusp of purchasing their first home as they move out!”
Impact Living Services (ILS) was created in 2012 by a team of professionals with the goal of
changing outcomes in foster care and families. Founder, President and CEO Paul Tesi set out to
“forge an independent living program like no other,” and headquartered in Lynchburg.
Tesi had majored in business and psychology in college and then spent 22 years working for a
social services agency. During that time, he founded and directed several group homes, an
alternative day school, and an Independent Living Program for at-risk youth. He has
been a foster parent and adopted two foster youth who are now adults. He noted at the
ground-breaking ceremony that “the transition for youth in foster care to adult life
where it involves affordable housing is a huge challenge.”
From 2012-2023, ILS saw the need to expand their services and spread throughout Virginia.
(The program currently provides services in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond, Bedford,
Fredericksburg, and Virginia Beach.) It added treatment-based foster care placements, resources
for families interested in fostering, and mentorship programs.
Penha says ILS has “a robust relationship with the Department of Social Services and we are
quickly expanding our Impact First Responders program – we would love to provide these
critical services to the Roanoke and Vinton area police.”
The general contractor for the Vinton project is Equity Enterprises. Construction will begin as
soon as all permits are approved by Roanoke County. The anticipated completion date is summer
2025.
