Maclellan Shelter for Families Officially Open in Chattanooga
(WDEF) Maclellan Shelter for Families Board of Trustees member Chris Maclellan said, "From what we understand, there, at any one time, are at least 30 families that may be homeless or living in their car and we’re able to accept them in two days."
Now homeless families in Chattanooga have a safe place to go.
Maclellan added, "When we found out many homeless shelters separate families, separate the kids from the adults, based on their sex, they don’t get to stay together. So our goal is to build a shelter that kept families together."
The first of its kind Maclellan Shelter for Homeless Families opened its doors next to the Community Kitchen on 11th Street. The 64-bed shelter has 13 rooms with private bathrooms and lockable doors.
Paul Luikart will serve as shelter director. He said, "If you have to break up a family, that’s a tough choice for a parent to make, to say well do I go to a shelter where I might be separated from my kids or do I stay with my kids but we’re on the streets. That’s a horrible choice to have to make."
The shelter allows families to stay for up to 120 days, but Maclellan hopes working with agencies like the Chattanooga Housing Authority means this shelter won’t be used for that long. Maclellan said, "In the first 30 days we think we can help them transition into permanent housing."
Luikart has experience with homeless families in Chicago. He said, "There’s a real common element I think to homelessness, city to city to city. And that is people need intact support networks. And that’s something I observed in Chicago. And bringing that here, I think the shelter will be part of that."
Now homeless families in Chattanooga have a safe place to go.
Maclellan added, "When we found out many homeless shelters separate families, separate the kids from the adults, based on their sex, they don’t get to stay together. So our goal is to build a shelter that kept families together."
The first of its kind Maclellan Shelter for Homeless Families opened its doors next to the Community Kitchen on 11th Street. The 64-bed shelter has 13 rooms with private bathrooms and lockable doors.
Paul Luikart will serve as shelter director. He said, "If you have to break up a family, that’s a tough choice for a parent to make, to say well do I go to a shelter where I might be separated from my kids or do I stay with my kids but we’re on the streets. That’s a horrible choice to have to make."
The shelter allows families to stay for up to 120 days, but Maclellan hopes working with agencies like the Chattanooga Housing Authority means this shelter won’t be used for that long. Maclellan said, "In the first 30 days we think we can help them transition into permanent housing."
Luikart has experience with homeless families in Chicago. He said, "There’s a real common element I think to homelessness, city to city to city. And that is people need intact support networks. And that’s something I observed in Chicago. And bringing that here, I think the shelter will be part of that."
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