Thomasville Clears The Way For Homeless Shelter Move

Thomasville's lone homeless shelter has been approved for a move.

Officials at the Shepherd's Inn shelter, operated by the Church of Tomorrow and located downtown,  wanted to move to Martin Luther King Drive in a building owned by His Laboring Few Ministries. Their rezoning request was denied by Thomasville Planning and Zoning. But last week, the city council voted 6 to 1 to overturn that decision, clearing the way for the shelter to move. City manager Kelly Craver says it will mean the ministries will be better able to serve the city's homeless.

“They would be able to occupy this building and not only feed people who are hungry but also house homeless people on Martin Luther King," Craver says. "It's a much larger building and they would be able to accommodate many more people.”

The current shelter has 16 beds and is for men only. Craver says the new shelter will have space for men, women and families. In January, the N.C. Coalition to End Homelessness found more than 100 homeless people living in Davidson County.