Arlington Life Shelter has opened a new two-story facility that officials say will allow them to help more people who are experiencing homelessness.
The new $5 million shelter includes more rooms to accommodate larger families. Bed capacity has increased by 40%, and there are spaces tailored to toddlers, elementary kids and teenagers.
Jim Reeder, the interim executive director of Arlington Life Shelter, said the additional space helps fill a need for Arlington's homeless population.
“We began tracking and we were turning away a lot of kids — 15 to 20 kids a day, almost — that we didn't have a space for,” he said. “The homelessness situation exists in Arlington. It's not as focused because we don't have an area where they congregate where they live in tents … but they’re on the street and they’re there.”
The new space also offers more educational and recreational spaces, a larger kitchen, and a computer lab sponsored by the Dallas Mavericks Foundation.
To help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, staff members will wear masks. Guests will also be encouraged to practice social distancing and their temperatures will be checked when they enter the shelter.
