HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) — We’re getting a first look at what the proposed homeless center in High Point could look like.
Open Door Ministries is working to buy property off Brentwood Street for the new facility. The organization has raised $7.4 million to go toward construction.
Open Door Ministries held a donor thank you dinner and fundraiser Thursday night as a way to introduce people to the homeless day center. People got to see these mock-ups of the building for the first time and learn what it will offer.
The executive director is hoping once people see the designs, they’ll be able to better imagine how the center will fit into their neighborhood.
“My goal with this whole facility is to keep people from ever entering homelessness, but if they are, get them off the street through whatever they need if they need job readiness, if they need any kind of treatment, you know any anything, we can get them out of their crisis,” said Ryan Ross, executive director of Open Door Ministries in High Point.
Ross hopes to be able to accomplish that in a brand new 50,000 to 60,000 square foot facility located at 410 Brentwood Street in High Point where a former church currently sits. The plan is to tear it down and build multiple buildings, one of which will house a day center.
“Somewhere to wash your clothes, take a shower, charge your cell phone, but also job readiness, resume writing, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling,” said Ross.
Another building will be a men’s shelter.
“Our anticipation is 128 beds, so the actual shelter would over double in size from what we have right now,” said Ross.
Another part of the property will have transitional housing where people can live while they work
“Homeless shelters are a band-aid fix and what we want to do is set people up for long term successful sustainability and this this plan is the best way to do that,” he said.
The larger space will allow Open Door Ministries to double or even triple the amount of people the organization currently helps. Right now, it’s giving out more than 7,200 meals per month and housing 1,000 people per year.
“The goal is to make homelessness and hunger and need in general, throughout Guilford County and the Piedmont Triad a much more rare thing than it is now,” said Ross.
Some homeowners living near the proposed location have expressed concerns about having the shelter in their neighborhood. Ross told FOX8 the facility will be completely fenced in and there will be security.
It’s a large plot of land, which he hopes will allow for future growth.
“We want to be looking down the road in anticipation of if the need increases that we’re going to be there to address that as well,” said Ross.
As of Thursday, there has not been any movement on rezoning the property.
Ross said after the November election, he has a meeting scheduled with several city and county leaders to make sure everyone is on the same page about the plans.
