Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing is leaving the longtime location of its men’s shelter and drop-in center west of downtown Dover in January, with plans to temporarily downsize its shelter as it looks towards future growth.
Dover Interfaith has warned that it could lose its men’s shelter near downtown Dover before – the nonprofit sounded the same alarm last winter, for instance – but this time, the decision is final. The 34-bed shelter will close at the end of January, and Dover Interfaith will convert the ground floor of its transitional housing building in a residential neighborhood in northwest Dover into a new shelter, albeit at a loss of roughly 10 beds.
Director Jeannine Kleimo says that while her organization could extend its lease at the downtown site for a few more months, closing in January ensures that Code Purple, which only provides shelter in the winter, can help make up for the beds lost in the move.
“Code Purple – I’m sure it’s not enough, but people do have a place to go," she said, "And we have some beds. We will still have a shelter. But in relocating to Walt Bagley Hall on Walker Road, while it’s not ideal, it does give us a place to be.”
Kleimo notes that the shelter currently has enough open beds to allow them to move without leaving anyone on the street.
She adds her organization intends to acquire a new men’s shelter space and is already developing a permanent supportive housing facility to help address the lack of options for those seeking long-term stability.
“We’re also developing housing that is so affordable that it will make the transition from shelter to housing a more rapid process,” she said.
That site – a building on Division St. west of downtown Dover – was the subject of a zoning change debate within Dover’s City Council. Some council members argued for denying a rezoning request as to prevent its conversion into affordable housing for people transitioning out of homelessness.
