SINKING SPRING, Pa. – A Berks County organization is opening doors and building connections for people looking for a place to call home.<\/p>\n
69 News Reporter Sydney Kay gives us a look into how the effort is helping meet a growing need across communities.<\/p>\n
You drive by homes every day, but you don\u2019t always know the story inside the four walls.<\/p>\n
One home on Penn Avenue in Sinking Spring has its own history, but its future is to help veterans and seniors.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a32c8871ec4b.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
WFMZ-TV | Sydney Kay<\/p>\n
\u201cWe thought if we could find a home where seniors could share a house, it would help offset the cost of living and also to help combat loneliness,\u201d said April Crossley.<\/p>\n
Crossley and Lura Bare are co-founders of the company, Homes of Grace.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe was a teenage mom. I myself am a survivor of domestic violence and we know how hard it is to keep a safe stable roof over your head,\u201d Bare said.<\/p>\n
That stability and comfort is what they\u2019re aimed at providing for those most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a32c89edf742.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
WFMZ-TV | Sydney Kay<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty percent of the homeless population in Berks County actually are seniors,\u201d explained Crossley.<\/p>\n
They say their hearts are meant to serve others, creating this safe space with ADA accessibility, two kitchens, and multiple bedrooms fitting eight tenants.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are aiming to keep our rent about thirty percent below fair market rent and that will include all of their utilities,\u201d Crossley said.<\/p>\n
When it came to creating the design of the home, the pair tells 69 News they invited nonprofits to make sure they\u2019re meeting the needs of potential renters.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/6a32c8b7ca227.image.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
WFMZ-TV | Sydney Kay<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat is needed and how would you structure this house so that people are comfortable? It was wonderful, the nonprofits in Berks County are amazing,\u201d Crossley said.<\/p>\n
With its completion goal for renovations set for late summer, they say this first house is much more than just a living space.<\/p>\n
\u201cOutside of things that are required by code, such as a sprinkler system, we really wanted it to feel like a home. That way we could grow a small community,\u201d explained Bare.<\/p>\n