Concord’s year-round homeless shelter has finally broken ground on a 16-bed expansion, while the longtime director prepares to retire later this month.
Construction began Monday on the long-awaited project at the Salvation Army’s McKenna House, just after city officials and board members posed for a photo. The South Fruit Street shelter is a transitional housing program for single adults coming from incarceration, homelessness or other unstable situations. The current building can house 26 adults, and it always has a waiting list.
This expansion will increase the capacity to 42 beds – 13 women and 29 men. The new construction will also add space for classes, and it will make the building more accessible. Currently, the women’s wing is on the second floor, so the McKenna House cannot accept women who can’t climb the stairs themselves.
The new wing should open in September.
“We’re right on track for when the cold weather hits, and we’re hoping to make a supreme impact going forward,” said Capt. Stephen Warren, the Salvation Army commanding officer in the Concord area.
At the nonproft, the last few months have been dedicated to raising the $675,000 needed to build. Warren said the Salvation Army is still $30,000 to $40,000 short of its goal, but wanted to start construction as soon as possible. Any money raised over that goal will go toward operating costs, he said; the increased number of beds will require the McKenna House to hire a second caseworker, bringing the staff to four.
“Expanding our shelter capacity is part of that plan to end homelessness in Concord,” Warren said.
As the shelter moves forward with the project, Director Lorrie Dale will retire after 10 years. Later this month, case manager Jenny Connor-Belcourt will succeed Dale. She has worked at the McKenna House since 2012, and she anticipated maintaining many of the same programs and procedures that currently exist.
“We not only help put people in housing,” Connor-Belcourt said. “We help raise them up so they can stay in housing when they’re there.”
The McKenna House runs a unique and strict program. Convicted sex offenders are not allowed, and residents must be older than 18. Those with drug or alcohol addictions must stay sober and participate in substance abuse treatment. All participants must also work with a case manager and contribute to chores.
Going forward, Dale said she hopes to see more transitional housing for people in recovery and more affordable housing in Concord. In recent years, she has seen more and more guests from the greater Concord area, Dale said, and she has seen more people seeking recovery from addiction.
“They sometimes use us as a safe place,” Dale said. “We’re a dry shelter. . . . This is a great place to catch a breath.”
As she stood near the construction zone, Dale reflected on the guests who have come and gone during her tenure. About 80 percent of the McKenna House residents eventually find and remain in permanent housing. Another 20 percent return to the McKenna House for a second or third stay, but eventually find housing. The average stay is 49 to 53 days, though each person is different.
When a new guest arrives, Dale said she always takes his or her photo during the intake process. When that person moves on to an apartment or permanent living situation, she takes another photo. The change is dramatic, she said, especially for those who spent years on the street before coming inside.
“They look like totally different people,” Dale said.
For more information about the McKenna House and its expansion, visit whymckenna.org.
(Megan Doyle can be reached at 369-3321 or mdoyle@cmonitor.com.)