The Knox County Housing Authority and the Salvation Army are opening an overnight winter shelter in Galesburg to provide shelter from the cold and a safe place to sleep for homeless individuals beginning in November. The shelter is funded by grants from the City of Galesburg and the Knox County 708 Mental Health Board. The Shelter is scheduled to open on November 1, 2023, at 525/527 Iowa Court,and will be open daily from 6 PM to 7 AM until April 30, 2024. Staff at the shelter will connect patrons with referrals for securing housing, food and nutritional stability, drug and alcohol addition recovery and mental health services. When staff are present during daytime hours, the Knox County Housing Authority will offer the facilities as warming centers.
This is the third year the City of Galesburg has partnered with local institutions in order to provide overnight winter shelter for homeless individuals. Last year, the Knox County Housing Authority and Salvation Army provided overnight shelter to 95 individuals, with an average of 11 people per night at the shelter. Shelter staff assisted 22 of the 95 individuals with housing 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 for reunification with family members. This represents a success story, which goes beyond a night’s shelter, for approximately 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, individuals can visit the warming shelter at 525/527 Iowa Court, the Salvation Army at 510 N. Kellogg Street (Monday – Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM) or call the Salvation Army at 309-342-9168.
