MANCHESTER, NH – On Thursday Families in Transition announced plans to lease two floors of the former Manchester Police Station at 351 Chestnut St. as an emergency winter shelter.
They will be able to house 45 to 50 people on two floors for a total of 10,000 square feet and will have room for day programming as well as sleeping quarters through March 31.
The $18,000 monthly operational cost for heat and utilities will be covered by federal funding.
They will need to hire more staff to oversee the space, as by the new year they will continue shelter up to 113 people at their main location on Manchester Street and an additional 39 at Angie’s Place on Union Street.
Although Families in Transition initially found this building to be unsuitable due to size and configuration, the search for another building was fruitless.
The announcement from Families in Transition, below, is addressed to the Board of Aldermen. In it, Families in Transition President and CEO Maria Devlin points out that this is a temporary solution to a long-term problem and that it’s necessary to work with the city to come up with longer-term solutions for homelessness.
