New Salvation Army shelter could be coming to Augusta, but some worry

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Salvation Army made an important announcement about a new shelter coming to Augusta.

Major Jonathan Raymer says they average 14 kids a night, so they have to shift how they address homelessness in the community.

Raymer says he believes the need has gone beyond the current facility on Greene Street.

“My vision for the shelter, similar to here, is a built-in ministry of dignity for those who are experiencing homelessness,” he said.

SEE THE ANNOUNCEMENT:

People experiencing homelessness come to the Center of Hope for one thing — hope.

“Most of them, if not all of them, want stability in their life,” said Raymer.

But while the Salvation Army wants to continue to help the community, some people worry about the location of the new facility.

“It’s tough in the community, you know, every community has rough, rough spots. I’m not saying that this is a rough spot, we have work to do, just like everybody else, all the other communities they have work to do,” said Lucius Robinson, who lives in the area.

The new shelter is planned for 303 Hale Street, across from the fairgrounds and down the street from an elementary school.

While locals want them to get the help they need, they worry about what comes with it.

Mario Windley, who lives nearby, said: “Now you’re going to open up another shelter, now they got a place to sleep. But what about, you know, a food bank nearby? What about medical? What about a place that, you know, if some of them are addicted to, you know, prescribed medicines, what are we doing here? What about counseling, just because they’re homeless, that shouldn’t be their last place.”

More than half of those inside are women and children. The center can only hold up to 120 at a time, and that depends on how many families are inside.

But the number may soon grow.

“We believe this is the next step of what the community needs,” said Raymer. “The need has gone beyond what we can do in this facility.”

The new shelter is also closer to community resources.

“We partner with over 20 nonprofits in the area,” he said. “A lot of them are actually over in the area we’re looking to move to.”

But some say it’s already an underserved community.

Windley said: “We are moving in people here that may or may not be embedded as far as criminal background, will the crime rate rise? You know, what about the local medical facilities here, would they be flooded with to a point where they can’t even take care of their normal clients? So those are my concerns for the community.”

The goal is to make the community better but some still question the best way to get there.

“We got kids that are in our program, that walk around here. We want to protect them,” he said.

The design for the new shelter will have wings for men, women, families and potentially veterans.

There is no set date for breaking ground just yet. The Salvation Army is currently working with the surrounding community on Hale Street for more input.

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