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Supportive-housing renovations coming for landmark O’Hern House Josh Green Mon, 09/22/2025 - 09:47

A century-old building that’s served as a vital resource in Sweet Auburn for decades but has grown long in the tooth is set for a makeover.

Renovations are scheduled to kick off this week at historic O’Hern House, a converted apartment building at 16 William Holmes Borders Senior Drive, just south of Edgewood Avenue.

The Sweet Auburn Historic District structure—originally built as the Red Seal Shoe Factory in the early 1900s—was converted into the O’Hern House, a supportive housing facility, in 1993.

Ever since, the 76-unit building has served formerly homeless individuals with permanent housing, most of them diagnosed with the simultaneous challenges of severe and persistent mental illness, or SPMI, and substance use disorders, according to project officials.

Overview of the 16 William Holmes Borders Senior Drive building (in red, at center) in relation to Edgewood Avenue and area landmarks. Google Maps

According to building owner and service provider The 3Keys Inc., the O’Hern House’s rehab project has been in planning for a year and ½. It will include a reconfiguration of the building’s first level and refresh of all residential rooms, including new HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems to help with energy efficiency and cut back on water and power bills.

Elsewhere, all amenities on site will be upgraded. That includes lounges and laundry rooms on upper levels and an industrial kitchen that provides residents with three meals per day. (The building also includes a library, elevator, and community space.)

The work is scheduled to take a year to complete. In the meantime, residents have been relocated to another apartment complex, with plans to return to O’Hern House in fall 2026.

Renovation plans for the building’s first and second floors. The 3Keys Inc.

According to 3Keys officials, funding to update the 118-year-old building was sourced from numerous coffers, with the biggest contributor ($5.4 million) being the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget.

Beyond 3Keys, partners in the project are listed as Quest CDC (developer), James Thomas Designs (architect), Carla Cooper (construction manager), and Community Friendship Inc. (support service provider).

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday morning.

Based in Chamblee, 3Keys now manages six properties with a combined 477 permanent supportive-housing units, each providing wraparound services designed to shepherd residents from the streets to stability.

The O’Hern House in Sweet Auburn today. The 3Keys Inc.

Services from 3Keys staff and partners include counseling, transportation, food support, life-skills training, case management, service coordination, peer support, and benefits assistance, among other functions. According to officials, the agency consistently notches a housing stability rate of 85 percent or more, eclipsing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s national benchmark of 80 percent.

“Through our mission-driven approach, 3Keys provides permanent supportive housing to those often considered the ‘hardest to serve,’” said Scott Walker, 3Keys president and CEO, in an O’Hern House project announcement. “We are deeply grateful to our partners for joining us in this work to ensure our neighbors have the dignity, stability, and opportunities they all deserve.”

“O’Hern House has been a lifeline in this community for decades,” added District 5 Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari, another expected speaker at this week’s ceremonies. “With today’s renovation, it recommits itself to decades more.”

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Supportive-housing renovations coming for landmark OHern House

Supportive-housing renovations coming for landmark OHern House

Supportive-housing renovations coming for landmark O’Hern House