The director of Kenosha’s primary homeless shelter calls it a “remarkable” statistic: 70% of the single men and women who are staying at the facility this week work either full or part-time jobs.
Lynn Biese-Carroll says having the working poor make up the majority of shelter residents in the non-family side of the program is part of a trend that began when the center moved into new quarters on 39th Ave. two months ago.
The move meant that the non-profit could shut down its system of housing homeless people in church basements with few facilities. The new building allows the guests to focus on finding and keeping jobs. For the first time, second and third-shift workers now have a place to sleep during the day. "It allows people to really get into the work system a little bit better," Biese-Carroll said. "We have showers and laundry facilities. So it makes for a more accommodating beginning spot."
The shelter includes 25 beds for men, and, in a separate room, about 10 beds for women. Ten cots are available when the beds are full.
The Shalom Center, including the family side with nine bedrooms, is on average at 80% capacity. Biese-Carroll said.
This week’s guest list includes four, unrelated 18 year-old women, including one with an eight month-old baby. Two more bunks were recently ordered for the women’s side because of an increase in the number of single females staying at the shelter.
On another matter, Biese-Carroll says the Shalom Center is intrigued by the proposal from NFL running back and Bradford High School grad Melvin Gordon and his family to create additional, badly-needed transitional housing in Kenosha. The family is proposing a village of tiny houses made from converted shipping containers, a concept that has worked well elsewhere.
Biese-Caroll, Jerry Jones--Melvin Gordon's uncle--and others are expected to meet next week with Kenosha County Executive Jim Kreuser.
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