Hope Place Shelter & DeLand Homeless Shelter To Receive Funds From VCC

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Volusia County, FL - The Volusia County Council (VCC) approved requests for funds for 2 homeless shelters in Volusia County, Hope Place and the DeLand Homeless Shelter and Day Center.

Hope Place, a project that started about 4 years ago at the site of the old Hurst Elementary School, north of Daytona Beach, is being renovated as a shelter for families with children and unaccompanied youth.

The Board of Directors for Halifax Urban Ministries (HUM) requested that the VCC consider providing matching funds for up to $400,000 per year for 5 years to assist with the operations of Hope Place. HUM would provide matching funds from monies they receive from non-governmental resources, such as private donations and fundraisers.

Hope Place needs $80,000 for a sprinkler system to be installed in the cafeteria. Additionally, renovation of another building is needed. That building would be designated for child care and partnering agencies, such as Catholic Charities and the Early Learning Coalition. Hope Place would need an additional $327,000 for the building and sprinklers. The extra funds would allow for completion of the project and help get the shelter's doors open sooner.

Hope Place requested funds for operational costs in order to provide programs that could help youth develop life skills that most learn while in a family setting and to offer basic household items to those who transition to their own homes. The shelter also wants to hire a volunteer coordinator who would bring in community volunteers who want to teach an art class, start a community garden, take kids to the theater and so forth. They would also like to expand the staff by adding some Master's level social workers that could help develop some of those programs.

Leadership for the DeLand Shelter did not request any additional capital costs because receipt of a grant covered the purchase of property at 417 South Palmetto Ave. No more funds were needed for construction or renovations. They did ask that the location of the shelter be changed from South Florida Ave. to South Palmetto Ave.

The DeLand Shelter also requested assistance with operational costs, $125,000 per year for 5 years, since the County Council had agreed to fund operational costs for the First Step shelter project.

The VCC unanimously approved the request for extra funds for Hope Place and voted to match non-governmental contributions for operating costs up to $400,000 for the 1st year.

The Council also approved the address change for the DeLand Shelter and the matching of non-governmental contributions for operating costs for one year.

Officials with both Hope Place and the DeLand Shelter were asked to update the VCC in one year. The Council will make decisions at that time about any future funding.

Now that the council has voted to fund Hope Place, the DeLand Shelter, and First Step Shelter, the county could be on the hook to pay over $12 million in homelessness services over the next 5 years.

For our earlier reporting on the First Step Shelter vote, click here.

Photo courtesy of Congarashu and Shutterstock.com.

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