Greensboro relocates Doorway Project and extends program through the summer

For the first time, Greensboro is extending its pallet housing project to continue providing shelter through the summer.

The Doorway Project offers 30 pallet homes as temporary housing shelters for those in need. The program is being moved from Pomona Park to the city-owned former Regency Inn site.

The motel property at one point was to be turned into permanent supportive housing for the chronically homeless. But that effort fell through after two separate nonprofits were unable to complete the project.

Latisha McNeil, director of the Community Safety Department, says the site was selected because the land was already cleared.

"It provided us an opportunity to be able to move the pallets to this location, but do it in the most cost-efficient way that we could for our residents," she says.

McNeils says extending the program beyond the spring benefits those in need.

"Having the shelter available throughout the year is going to provide us an opportunity to have increased time to really work with the individuals who need those services and connect them with housing options," she says.

The city council appropriated nearly $571,000 last week to extend the project.

The relocation of the pallet homes is expected to be completed by the second week of April.