Thanks to Vision House, three homeless families now have shelter. The Renton nonprofit opened three new housing units at a ribbon cutting Thursday.

Those units provide pretty nice shelter, too. “Beautifully designed,” says Susan Camerer, executive director of Vision House.

The units were created with help by The Master Builders Care Foundation and Centex Homes. About half of the labor and materials were donated by local building trades.

Centex Homes, the project’s builder captain, received Vision House’s 2008 Corporate Champion award for securing those donations.

The Master Builders Care Foundation also had cause to celebrate at the ribbon cutting. The three new units marked the foundation’s third homeless shelter in nine months. The project is also the foundation’s first of 100 community service projects to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Master Builders Association.

The three new units bring Vision House’s housing units to 23. Those units are spread between two complexes in the Renton Highlands.

Vision House also provides childcare for 70-some children, plus a recovery program for men with drug and alcohol addictions. These men live in two group homes, one in southeast Renton and the other in Burien.

Vision House started in the basement of Susan and John Camerer’s basement in 1990. John, Susan’s husband, is director of operations.

Since then, the nonprofit has treated more than 520 homeless people. Most stay at Vision House a year, but families can stay as long as it takes to become self-sufficient.

All of the families leaving Vision House in the past two and a half years have moved into permanent housing and gone onto self-sufficiency.

The Camerers are happy with their success, but also realize there are many more homeless to help.

Like the more than 2,000 counted in King County during the outdoor One Night Count last January. And the 50-some families on the Vision House waiting list.

Still, each new housing unit makes a difference.

“A lot of people giving a little bit.” That’s how Camerer says we, and Vision House, will survive these tough economic times.

Those three new housing units matter. They may not provide shelter for all the needy, but they are a start.

“It may not feel like it’s going to solve the issue of homelessness, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Camerer said.