WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — More shelter is on the way for the unhoused in Warner Robins. Monday night, Mayor LaRhonda Patrick announced the city has closed on a location for their long-awaited homeless shelter.
The building sits on Green Street near Robins Air Force Base, and Mayor Patrick says she hopes to have the center up and running before winter.
When driving through Warner Robins folks say it's common to see someone in need.
"I see them a lot around this side of town," says Taliyah Sapp.
Sapp has lived in the city for nearly 15 years, and she says on the north side, she's even become familiar with some of the people.
"There are a couple of people who you really see, they push around their carts and stuff," says Sapp.
Christine Smith has lived in the city for 57 years and has gotten to know even more faces.
"If I had room, I would try to put them in my house. It's really sad to see them standing out there on the street," says Smith.
Now, the city-run homeless shelter will open around the corner from her home.
On Tuesday, public work crews were out cleaning up the outside of the building.
"This is what they really need. I'm hoping that they would go," says Smith.
It will house 60-70 people with separate chambers for men and women. They expect to house more
"We're not just trying to give them shelter, but also a restart on their lives," says Mayor Patrick.
She says with the success they had in transforming lives through The Table warming center, they plan to do the same through a city-run shelter.
"Trying to find housing and trying to get their identification and trying to get them resumes. We were able to get jobs for three, so knowing that we have a success story already makes me feel really great to know that our homeless shelter will not just be a handout, as someone else states, 'it's a hand-up,'" says Patrick
She says transforming these lives will help transform the city. She says it will limit panhandling outside of stores, and help with property values.
"Houston County has really good property values, and we want to make sure that we help support that by giving people new space for lodging, need food to eat away from those districts, so we can still have enjoyable shopping experience, and also individuals who are unhoused are taken care of as well," says Patrick
Most importantly, she says it shows that they care.
"We're just so pleased to know that so many people are standing in agreement with us to show here in Houston County, in Greater Warner Robins, we care about all of our neighbors," she says.
The city paid about $175,000 for the building. City leaders are still looking at what needs to be done inside the space to determine the additional cost of upkeep. Mayor Patrick says, the city is also in touch with the United Way of Central Georgia about a possible partnership.