Kathy Ritchie/KJZZ

CASS CEO Lisa Glow shows a rendering of the Haven, a homeless shelter that will serve older adults.

Located along the I-17 near Northern Avenue, the Phoenix Inn is in a dilapidated state. But in a few months time, this space will be transformed.

“This is a unique model both in Phoenix and in the country," said Lisa Glow, CEO of the Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS), the largest emergency shelter in Maricopa County. She described what will eventually become the Haven

“We're calling this a senior living model. And what makes it unique is this is the first option for an older adult to come to, versus going to a mass congregate shelter,” she said.

Glow said older adults typically don't do well in mass shelters like CASS, which has hundreds of beds. For example, if a person has mobility issues, they may not be able to access a top bunk bed. So The Haven is really focused on providing a trauma-informed space where a person can find all of the services they need, including a dementia diagnosis.

“Here at The Haven, this is a closed campus model,” she explained. “All services will be provided on-site: three meals a day, laundry, case management, housing, navigation and — most exciting of all — we have a lot of partners who are going to be here with us, including Hospice of the Valley.”

“Some of our staff went to their training on dementia care. And if you think about it, that's really important to be able to screen and identify if an older adult has dementia challenges,” Glow said.

When it opens, The Haven will serve up to 170 people.

Last year, CASS served 17,000 seniors. That’s 43% more than the previous year.