The Salvation Army of Gaston and Lincoln counties is closing its emergency homeless shelter and will instead focus its efforts on a new homelessness prevention program.
According to a press release, the transition will be gradual.
The last day the Salvation Army will accept new shelter residents is July 15, and the last day the Salvation Army can provide emergency shelter to remaining residents is August 31. During this time, shelter staff will work with residents to develop transition plans and conduct explorations. housing options, according to a news release.
The facility, located at 107 S. Broad St., Gastonia, will continue to offer the drive-through food pantry, case management, emergency financial assistance and wardrobe programs.
Dwayne Burks, executive director of The Gateway Gaston, said the shelter’s closure will make it harder for homeless people, especially families, to find shelter.
‘The immediate impact is that we are losing 65 potential crisis beds every night, including four family rooms. Families continue to find it more difficult. There are no other options in Gaston other than a few things per program type, mainly for women and children. ,” said Burks. “Without a doubt, we’re going to see more people on the streets.”
Gaston County has no other homeless shelters, which will force those who work with the homeless to send them to Charlotte or Lincolnton, if they can get there at all, Burks added.
“Going to Lincolnton is tantamount to going to Texas today. For most people without homes, it’s not an option,” Burks said.
He said he hopes the closure of the shelter will make elected leaders more aware of the crisis.
“I hope this brings full attention to the issue, and I hope that our leadership, our elected officials, our city managers, our county managers, our faith community leaders, our nonprofit leaders, will finally come together and do something.” will do that good sense here,” he said. “Let’s provide a good shelter day and night for this community. We’re too big of a community, we’re too good of a community, to let this happen. It is shameful and shameful that this is happening in our province. “
The decision to close the Salvation Army shelter and transition to a homelessness prevention program was prompted by the organization’s volunteer-led advisory board and based on a 2023 study that found the emergency shelter program “was not the most is cost-effective’. transformative way to help people experiencing temporary homelessness,” the press release said.
“The Advisory Board has spent more than six months evaluating the Mission Planning Study to ensure our programs are compassionate, sustainable, cost-effective and transformative,” said Deon Lewis, chair of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. “The emergency shelter has been a huge asset to the community over its twenty years of existence, but we must recognize that its solutions have changed and evolved over the past twenty years. We believe that shifting from an emergency shelter program to a homelessness prevention initiative will be critical in addressing homelessness in our community and doing the most good.”
The Salvation Army and the Advisory Board will examine successful, comprehensive social service models from more than 60 centers in North and South Carolina and create a plan focusing on homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing that meets the needs of individuals in Gaston and Lincoln. The new model will encourage community volunteerism and collaboration across the for-profit and non-profit space. The Salvation Army believes community is the foundation for success, the news release said.
This article originally appeared in The Gaston Gazette: Salvation Army to close homeless shelter
