The Salvation Army is planning to significantly expand its capacity, including a new year-round shelter

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – The Salvation Army of Charlottesville is moving forward with plans to significantly expand its services.

This also includes the opening of the city’s first barrier-free emergency shelter that is accessible all year round.

“We all see it. We all see homelessness in our neighborhoods and on our streets,” said Major Mark Van Meter of the Salvation Army. “This is a good opportunity.”

The plan is to convert the current Salvation Army thrift store, located just off Cherry Avenue, into a low-barrier emergency shelter. It is planned for fifty beds, but could eventually expand to up to 100.

“This would be very beneficial for individuals to be able to spend the night, have a good, warm, safe environment and still be close enough to get to our property on Ridge Street,” Van Meter said.

Just around the corner is the current location of the Salvation Army with its offices, dining hall and high barrier accommodation. This will also be extensively renovated and renamed the “New Center of Hope”.

“We will open 100-bed shelters, a building with seven transitional apartments and seating for 120 people in our cafe,” Van Meter listed.

If everything goes as planned, there will eventually be two shelters serving two different purposes, but Van Meter wants them to work hand in hand.

“As we communicate with the people in our low-barrier shelter, we can say to them: Look, allow us to help you get into rehab. Allow us to get you into a treatment program, whatever it may be, and then you can come into the high-barrier housing,” Van Meter said.

The delay now is securing enough funding to make everything happen.

On Monday evening, October 21, Charlottesville City Manager Sam Sanders recommended that the City Council continue to support both projects, including a $5.25 million contribution.

In total, Van Meter predicted the renovation of the Cherry Avenue property would cost around $2 million.

The price for the new Center of Hope is significantly higher. The Salvation Army said it needs to raise $28 million, 20% of which has already been raised as of Oct. 23.

The other item on the to-do list is to find additional community partners who can sign up for year-round housing.

“We would like to eventually call this shelter Cherry Ave Alliance and hope it will be a multi-agency partnership,” Van Meter said.

The preliminary goal is to have the low barrier operational by winter 2025.

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