- St. Francis House announced it will close its downtown Gainesville shelter in April after operating since 1993 as a family-focused nonprofit.
- Alachua County’s Task Force for Ending Homelessness approved $35,000 in extra funds for Family Promise to support homeless families after the closure.
- GRACE Marketplace, serving adults, has set aside six women’s beds and will open a new 20-bed shelter focusing on mental health and employment services.
- Gainesville leaders plan to explore converting unused buildings like schools into family centers providing housing and support services.
Even before St. Francis House announced to the public that it would shutter its downtown Gainesville shelter in April, homeless service providers coordinated to create pathways for the people left unserved by the closure.
The Task Force Fore Ending Homelessness, Alachua County’s lead agency for the Continuum of Care that coordinates homeless providers, approved $35,000 last week in extra Rapid Rehousing funds for Family Promise of Gainesville.
Jacob Torner, vice president of programs for the TaskForce, told Mainstreet that the funds come on top of what Family Promise already receives and will ensure the homeless families at St. Francis House continue to have access to services and shelter…