Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1509076
OCTOBER 4-10, 2023 UCW 61 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM County Moving Forward with Homeless Support Center a STAFF REPORT e Cumberland County Board of Commissioners has taken ac- tion to move forward with con- struction of a Homeless Support Center that will provide much needed shelter beds for County residents experiencing homeless - ness, as well as access to programs and resources that will help them achieve sustainable housing and improve their lives. e Homeless Support Center will be located off Grove Street be - tween B Street and Hawley Lane. e selected site is adjacent to the former Pauline Jones Elemen- tary School, which is currently used by Fayetteville Technical Community College as an Educa- tion Center. On Sept. 12, the Cumberland County Board of Education ap- proved a request to convey two parcels adjacent to the former school to the County. e County intends to partner with FTCC to provide educational opportunities for residents who utilize the Homeless Support Center. Cape Fear Valley Health Sys - tem will also be a partner in this project and the County will work with other community partners to bring resources to those using the facility to assist them as they work to transition to permanent and stable housing. Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Dr. Toni Stewart announced she will establish an advisory committee for the project that will include two residents from the B Street community. ey will be business owners: one representative who serves and advocates for the homeless community, and one person from Community Development, along with herself, Commissioner Mi - chael Boose and Fayetteville City Councilwoman Shakeyla Ingram. "e need for beds in our com- munity has not gone unnoticed by the County," said Chairwoman Stewart. "We need beds, but we also need to change the overall living environment. ere's a lot more to be done to make that happen, but this is a significant step in that process." e Board of Commissioners has also selected the architectural firm LS3P to finalize the building program and design the Homeless Support Center. LS3P was selected following an RFQ process and was recom - mended based on their extensive experience with similar types of facilities, as well as alignment with the County's goals of creating a welcoming and inviting space that will allow those receiving services to feel valued and under - stood. County staff are currently work- ing with LS3P to bring a contract forward for Board approval to begin working on programming and design of the Homeless Sup - port Center. As part of that process, the County will engage various stakeholders, including members of the homeless community to provide input on what the facility will need to truly make a positive impact on the community and improve outcomes for those expe - riencing homelessness. For more information about Cumberland County Government, visit https://www.cumberland - countync.gov/home cumberland- countync.gov. Image by Mart Production via Pexel NEWS