JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) - The city of Jackson has no permanent homeless shelter, but it has opened a temporary shelter for the winter, The Jackson Sun reported.
“It’s really sad a community our size doesn’t have a shelter already, but this is a great first step,” Matthew Marshall, the United Way of West Tennessee CEO and chairman of the city’s anti-poverty task force, said.
City officials and task force members have worked for over a year to create a homeless shelter, but the need became more pressing after a homeless man froze to death in downtown Jackson in early December.
Due to a surge in coronavirus cases, Jackson Mayor Scott Conger closed the Carl Perkins Civic Center for public events throughout the winter, That opened up the opportunity to turn it into a shelter.
“Although this isn’t the permanent shelter that we need, it fills in the gap until we get to that point,” Conger told the paper.
The shelter opened on Monday and is expected to serve 20-25 men. It will operate as a temporary solution through March 15. The city hopes to open a permanent shelter in the spring with the help of the Salvation Army. The shelter currently is accepting donations and supplies.
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