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Residents, volunteers urge Gaston County to establish permanent shelter as cold‑weather efforts continue
Summary
Multiple volunteers and residents told the Gaston County Board of Commissioners they want a year‑round, locked‑door shelter and coordinated use of existing grants and county land rather than temporary cold‑weather responses.
Sally Hendrick, a Gaston County resident and volunteer, urged the county on Feb. 25 to create a 24/7 shelter with locked doors, showers, laundry and transitional units, saying current cold‑weather shelters are not sufficient.
Hendrick told the Gaston County Board of Commissioners she has been checking on people living outdoors and called for a permanent facility that would let families stay together and provide wraparound services. “I want to be a voice of hope,” she said.
Other volunteers and residents described day‑to‑day hardships and gaps in services. Michelle Jarbo, who volunteers at First United Methodist Church’s cold‑weather shelter and at local food distributions, said the short‑term shelter model is “not sustainable” and asked what will happen to people when warmer weather returns. She recounted individual cases of seriously ill and elderly people who slept outdoors or in makeshift shelters.
Seth Pills, who works at an overnight shelter in Charlotte and volunteers locally, said the region’s shelter systems allow many people to exit homelessness but that Gaston County lacks attainable and emergency shelter capacity. “There is no emergency shelter for them,” Pills said, adding that many unhoused people are longtime community members, including veterans and former plant workers.
Becca Hurd, another volunteer, told commissioners the county must coordinate with grassroots organizations and consider housing‑first models. She referenced programs elsewhere that provide permanent housing and job opportunities and urged county leaders to partner with volunteer groups already providing services.
Speakers asked the board for clearer information about grants and funding timelines. Jarbo asked about a HUD HOME grant tied to the American Rescue Plan with an expiration window she said was approaching in March 2025, and requested transparency on how county and city funds are being used. Several speakers also asked whether unused or underused county land could be repurposed for a permanent shelter or transitional housing.
Commissioners did not take formal action in response to public comments during the meeting. The board did not announce a timeline or a staff assignment to develop a permanent shelter plan during the Feb. 25 session.
Community volunteers and shelter operators said they will continue running cold‑weather shelter operations and outreach while pressing elected leaders for a long‑term solution.
Looking ahead: speakers asked the county to coordinate city and county efforts, provide clearer accounting of federal and local grant timelines, and identify possible sites or funding options for a permanent facility.
