WATTS has been working for several years towards our goal of a permanent, year-round shelter that would allow us to better serve local men and women who are experiencing homelessness. Our current model of operation – our shelter being housed in a different local church each week of the winter from November through March – has worked beautifully for 15 years, but unfortunately, the need in our area continues to grow. We are so grateful for the generosity and kindness of our church partners who’ve opened their buildings to WATTS and our guests over the years, and for all the people who have been a part of making it happen! Our plan is to continue these partnerships with our churches going forward, with expanded opportunities for the community to help on a regular basis as well, all within the “hub” of our year-round facility.
First envisioned by WATTS’ inaugural and long-time Executive Director, the late Marion Schottelkorb, serious talks and fundraising efforts related to establishing a permanent location have been underway for almost a decade now. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 on the homeless community and the implementation of our Transition Out of Homelessness program in 2021, further clarified our vision on the improved and expanded services we seek to offer. Continuity of care is vital – we’ve seen that, often, it takes longer than the 5 months of our shelter’s current operation to work through complex processes and systems to get a person out of homelessness. There are also many services and unique needs that our guests require in the meantime in order to care for their whole person (body, mind, and spirit) and empower them to be successful at breaking the cycle of homelessness.
Now in 2025, we are excited to have entered into the initial planning stages of realizing a tangible, year-round location. Check out these early drafts of the architectural drawings for the shelter we envision to meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness in our community. Some of the highlights include:
- 50 low-barrier beds, each with a personal storage cubby/locker
- An area for 50 more beds during emergencies
- A day room for 90 people
- A commercial, full-service kitchen
- Laundry room for WATTS and guests’ needs
- 70 personal lockers (including for those who are not overnight guests)
- A clinic with exam room
- 4 isolation rooms (for contagious diseases or post-operative recovery)
- Kennels for animals
- A conference room and classroom
- Bathrooms and showers
- An outdoor area for guests to enjoy
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