Good Samaritan Boys Ranch Partners on Millstone Flats Housing

Eight apartment units in a new Springfield housing development will be reserved specifically for young people transitioning out of the foster care system.

The Millstone Flats project, a 48-unit affordable housing complex in northern Springfield, is a partnership between Cherryvale Development and the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, KY3 reported. The development aims to provide more than just physical shelter; it is designed to act as a bridge for a demographic that often faces sudden, unsupported independence.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 20,000 people age out of the foster care system every year. For many of these individuals, the age of 21 marks a sharp cliff where state support ends, leaving them to manage adulthood without a traditional safety net.

“They turn 21, and that’s officially when foster care backs out,” Casey Wray, the President and CEO of the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch, told KY3. “And these young people are tasked with being adults all by themselves.”

The eight designated units at Millstone Flats are intended to help mitigate the instability that often follows the end of foster care. The program allows these residents to use the transition period to save money, learn the mechanics of independent living, and establish a verifiable rental history.

The proximity of the complex to the Good Samaritan Boys Ranch offers a layer of emotional and logistical security. Wray said that if residents find they need to stay long-term, they may be able to move into other affordable housing designations within the same complex.

“There’s nothing scarier sometimes or more lonely than living by yourself,” Wray said.

“If they need anything emotionally, we’ll be checking in with them. We’re only a couple minutes away. We can get over there. If they just need to talk to somebody, cry with somebody, need to celebrate something, whatever it may be, we’re there for emotional support as well. We’re gonna help pay their rent, help do all these wonderful other things.”

For the organization, the centralized location removes the logistical hurdles of scattered-site housing. Wray explained that previously, the ranch had to rent apartments across various parts of the city, which meant dealing with new landlords and unfamiliar neighborhoods every time a young person needed housing.

“To be able to have brand new affordable housing, it is super exciting for us because we know we get to be involved with the process, but we also know this is gonna be a great place for young people. It’s gonna be safe. It’s gonna be beautiful,” Wray said.

The project is located at 3299 N. Vernon Ave., north of I-44. A ceremony to mark the start of construction for the site is scheduled for November 12 at 1 p.m.