FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — 7hills Homeless Shelter has opened a new overnight shelter, and less than a week in, it’s already making an impact.
Founded in 2001, 7hills started as a day center and offers re-housing services for the unhoused community.
"To have this opened up, to have a place for people to go, where we can get into a program where we can get try and get people house and back into society is a big deal," says Joe Coultas, Director of Shelter Services.
The 7hills overnight shelter is now open, with all 16 beds already filled. That’s in addition to the roughly 150 people who visit the day resource center here each day.
"When the day center would close down, then the people were left to their own ideas of where they would try and camp for the night," Coultas added.
Now with the help of city funding through the American Rescue Plan, a building on the Walker family property will allow 7hills to serve those in need throughout the night.
Coultas says the goal is to keep neighbors safe while they work with case managers to get off the streets and find permanent housing. "It's very important that these folks give me chances and resources as they can, because homelessness is a vicious cycle that continues to pull you down."
7hills board president Will Roth says homelessness in Northwest Arkansas is a growing issue and this overnight shelter is one step in a positive direction.
"We will be here no matter how big that number gets to serve those clients and our neighbors and our guests with dignity," Roth said. "That's what we feel the most important thing is. These are human beings. They deserve a second, third, fourth chance, just like we all do. And we have an open-door policy to them to get them on a track to a better life."
The goal is to have 32 beds in use by the summer and a total of 64 by the end of the year.
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