Homeless people in Galesburg will have a shelter to stay in this winter.
Starting November 1, the Knox County Housing Authority and the Salvation Army will operate an overnight winter shelter in Galesburg to provide refuge from the elements and a safe place to sleep for homeless individuals. The shelter is funded by grants from the City of Galesburg and the Knox County 708 Mental Health Board. The shelter will be located at 525/527 Iowa Court in Galesburg and will operate daily, including weekends and holidays, from 6 p.m. – 7 a.m., November 1, 2023 – April 30, 2024.
Besides offering overnight shelter, staff members will help patrons connect with referrals for services that support housing security, food and nutritional stability, drug and alcohol addiction recovery and mental health services. The Knox County Housing Authority will offer the use of community spaces within their facilities as warming centers during daytime hours when staff are present.
This is the third year Galesburg has worked with local institutions to provide overnight winter shelter for homeless individuals. Last year, the Knox County Housing Authority and Salvation Army provided overnight shelter to 95 unique individuals, with an average of 11 people per night at the shelter. With case management help from shelter staff, 22 of the 95 individuals became successfully housed outside of a shelter setting. Thirteen were permanently housed in their own apartments, one was referred and successfully entered into inpatient rehabilitation, two were referred and transported to mental health facilities in the region and six were provided transportation to be reunited with family members. This translates into a success story for about 23% of shelter patrons.
“The overnight winter shelter fills an immediate, emergency necessity for homeless individuals to have a safe place to sleep overnight,” said Derek Antoine, Executive Director of the Knox County Housing Authority. “While that lifesaving need cannot be overstated, shelter staff also strive to navigate individuals to sustainable solutions by addressing the causal issues, and providing the tools they need to move forward.”
For more information, people can visit the warming shelter at 525/527 Iowa Court in Galesburg or the Salvation Army office at 510 N. Kellogg Street in Galesburg Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. or call the Salvation Army at (309) 342-9168.
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