City and state officials gathered Aug. 8 to celebrate the completion of construction and upcoming opening of the Day Resource Center for the homeless.

The facility includes a wide array of features and services, including showers and laundry facilities; a kitchen for lunch service; office space for social workers and case managers; a family and children’s room; medical offices for preventative care and health services; a quiet room for meditation and rest; and space for people to gather to escape extreme heat or cold.

“My hope is that this project functions as a catalyst for our community to approach homelessness holistically,” said Fayetteville City Manager Douglas J. Hewett.

He spoke about how the project has been a long time coming and a part of the city’s 10-year plan to address homelessness.
The total cost was just under $7 million, which was fully funded by grants through the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Both grants were awarded to address the effects of natural disasters such as Hurricane Matthew, which can exacerbate homelessness.

“It’s these kinds of projects that really help us feel like we are making an impact with the federal dollars that have been entrusted to our state,” said Tracy Colores, community development director of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency.

According to Colores, the project had the largest budget for his office in the state.
Instead of running the facility themselves, city officials decided to entrust it to community organizations and picked Cumberland HealthNet to run its day-to-day operations.

“So this facility is going to be a one-stop shop for those that are experiencing homelessness so they can come to one place instead of having to go all over the city to get resources,” said Shelly Hudson, executive director of Cumberland HealthNet.

Community organizations will be able to serve meals, provide health care and counseling, and connect homeless people with resources.
The Day Resource Center is only a half mile, or about a 12-minute walk, from the location of a planned 150-plus-bed transitional housing facility. Fayetteville City Council voted unanimously on Aug. 7 to convert the Nights Inn on South Eastern Boulevard into transitional housing. [See article on page 10]

City Council member Shakeyla Ingram of District 2 said the combination of the two projects is “positioning (the city) to move forward in the right direction.”
Mayor Mitch Colvin spoke about how the day center shows the progress the city is making to combat homelessness.

“Let us remember that this is not the end of a journey but the beginning of a new chapter in our ongoing commitment to fostering a more just and compassionate city,” said Colvin.

HealthNet has said the day center is scheduled to open Aug. 21.