The Sierra House Advisory Board is exploring options for a full-time homeless shelter or other solution for men, women, families and teens in the Silver City area.
Currently, the Silver City Gospel Mission provides a men's cold weather shelter during the winter months and has space for a few women at it's Sierra House transitional home.
And the El Refugio battered women's shelter has space for 32 women who are victims of domestic violence.
Left in the cold are many teenagers who are couch surfing from one family to the next, young men between 12 and 17 years of age, families and adult males during the summer months.
Christina Wolford, Case worker at the Mission and head of the committee said that in some cases she is able to get people housing after a short wait and she is a firm believer in the rapid re-housing solution being implemented in many large cities, but she has a hard time helping many people who really just need a spot to stay for a short period of time.
The Gospel Mission can put them up in a hotel for a few days, but when funds run out they are back on the street, and a short-term housing for all demographics and possibly some transitional homes for longer term solutions are needed.
The next meeting of the advisory board will be Wednesday, May 27, at 1 pm in the Gospel Mission Lunch Room and anyone interested in seeking solutions for the homeless is invited to attend.