Chapter 7 Exercise:
Homeless Shelter

The following is information that can be used for the Homeless Shelter exercise, found on page 107 of the book, Planning and Community Development, (Tyler and Ward, 2011).

This exercise requires substantial knowledge of the Rivertown community to be able to determine a satisfactory location for a new homeless shelter. A useful first step for students would be to develop a map of the community, including on it notations on all community assets to be considered with regard to the shelter location. Notations should include, of course, the locations described in the exercise -- a medical facility to the east of the city, the First Methodist Church, where breakfasts will continue to be served, schools where homeless families can send their children, and the bus depot, where they could arrange for bus transit if needed. Other locations that might be noted as relevant include the city park on West Biltmore Avenue, City Hall on Biltmore Avenue East, the Post Office behind the Dollar Day Store, and the City Library on Green Street.

Also noted should be property owned by the city where a shelter structure could be built. These include sites being considered for downtown parking lots (see the Rivertown parking exercise). Also, private properties that could be purchased and converted include Miller Manor in the downtown (large enought only for 10-12 residents), the vacant Bijou Theater on Biltmore Avenue East, empty trailer homes at Elly's Mobile Home Park, the vacant Eagle Stove Works building in the industrial park area, and scattered available apartments in multi-family buildings north of the Biltmore Avenue commercial district.

The student's report should discuss the advantages and disadvantages of at least some of these locations in terms of a variety of needs, including physical space, social needs, and city services.