IFC wants answer on land request for shelter
County commissioners mull options
By: Tracey Theret, Assistant City Editor
Issue date: 8/28/07 Section: City
It's been more than one year since the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service requested locating the men's homeless shelter on a tract of county-owned land, and Executive Director Chris Moran wants an answer from the Orange County Board of Commissioners.
Chapel Hill staff leased the building on 110 W. Rosemary St. to the IFC for more than 20 years. When the lease ran out this summer, the town decided it wanted the space back eventually and now leases to the IFC in 30-day increments.
Moran said the council has been looking for a permanent location for the shelter since 2000.
In July 2006, a work group of elected town and county officials and representatives from the IFC made the request to place the shelter on the tract of land between the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center and the Department of Social Services off of Homestead Road, Moran said.
"We've had our sights on this piece of property for a while," Moran said. "We have tried to plan around it, but we can't do it successfully until the board says it's ours to use."
"We strongly suggest the board tells us yes or no whether this property is suitable or not based upon their interests."
But county commissioners said the decision is complicated.
Commissioner Alice Gordon said other options are being considered for the site, such as county justice facilities.
Gordon added that residents have expressed concern about homeless men living on the Homestead campus, close to "frail" seniors at the Seymour Center and homeless women, who Gordon said are mostly victims of domestic abuse.
But Moran said the proximity of the women's shelter would make management of the shelters more convenient and concerns could be mollified by the fact that only the homeless shelters would have residents during the evening hours.
IFC director of residential services Laurie Tucker said the Homestead location would provide relief from "the hubbub and craziness of town," which can be distracting to men trying to sober up.
Chapel Hill staff leased the building on 110 W. Rosemary St. to the IFC for more than 20 years. When the lease ran out this summer, the town decided it wanted the space back eventually and now leases to the IFC in 30-day increments.
Moran said the council has been looking for a permanent location for the shelter since 2000.
In July 2006, a work group of elected town and county officials and representatives from the IFC made the request to place the shelter on the tract of land between the Robert and Pearl Seymour Center and the Department of Social Services off of Homestead Road, Moran said.
"We've had our sights on this piece of property for a while," Moran said. "We have tried to plan around it, but we can't do it successfully until the board says it's ours to use."
"We strongly suggest the board tells us yes or no whether this property is suitable or not based upon their interests."
But county commissioners said the decision is complicated.
Commissioner Alice Gordon said other options are being considered for the site, such as county justice facilities.
Gordon added that residents have expressed concern about homeless men living on the Homestead campus, close to "frail" seniors at the Seymour Center and homeless women, who Gordon said are mostly victims of domestic abuse.
But Moran said the proximity of the women's shelter would make management of the shelters more convenient and concerns could be mollified by the fact that only the homeless shelters would have residents during the evening hours.
IFC director of residential services Laurie Tucker said the Homestead location would provide relief from "the hubbub and craziness of town," which can be distracting to men trying to sober up.
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