Original video from Grace Inn Facebook page [1]
By Cody Starr [2]
BELLEVILLE – In a video posted Wednesday, the organization behind what will be Belleville’s first homeless shelter says it has made it over a significant hurdle.
The shelter, which be called Grace Inn [3], will be located at 315 Church St., the site of the former Irish Hall. It is expected to have 21 beds: 16 for men and five for women. It will be every day of the year.
The the new video, posted to Grace Inn’s Facebook page, [1] chair Jodie Jenkins explains that the organization’s site application to the provincial Ministry of the Environment [4] has been approved.
This was a significant achievement in the process of making the shelter a reality, Jenkins says in the video, as this application is usually a lengthy process, taking months in most cases. He thanked the ministry for expediting the process.
Grace Inn will not be your typical homeless shelter. It is set to offer some amenities to give those staying a sense of dignity and security. Those amenities include semi-private bedrooms, lockers to keep belongings safe overnight and access to shower and laundry facilities.
The only thing left now is for the finalized plans to be presented to city council for approval.
Grace Inn officials did not respond to calls from QNet News seeking more information about the project.