Having Nearly Closed, North Side Homeless Shelter Needs Time To Rev Up Again

Having Nearly Closed, North Side Homeless Shelter Needs Time To Rev Up Again

WBEZ brings you fact-based news and information. Sign up for our newsletters to stay up to date on the stories that matter.

Northside Housing and Support Services had been planning for months to close the Lawrence Avenue shelter on December 23rd. 

The shelter stopped accepting new residents in October. The night of the 22nd, only about half a dozen people stayed there, according to Northside’s director, Richard Dukatenzeiler. 

Then the shelter got a last-minute reprieve in the form of a three-year grant from a local foundation.

Dukatenzeiler said it would take a little time to get the shelter ready to bring in new people.

“We want to make sure we have food, we want to make sure we have supplies,” he said. “Unfortunately, we did sell some of the equipment, thinking we were going to close. We have to buy some computers, and a washer and dryer.” 

He said he hopes to be ready for new residents in early January, and to have all 72 beds occupied by the end of January.