Urban Ministries seeks $3 million for predevelopment of collaborative homeless services center

Urban Ministries asked Durham County on May 5 to help fund predevelopment and initial design for a proposed collaborative homeless services center on St. Philip’s Episcopal Church property, asking the county to allocate $3 million while the nonprofit and its partners pursue grants and private fundraising.

The proposal, delivered by Sheldon Mitchell, executive director of Urban Ministries, described a multi-use, trauma‑informed facility intended to provide noncongregate shelter for up to 300 people, expanded day services, on-site clinic space, and consolidated access to food, clothing, and case management. Mitchell said Urban Ministries already provides emergency shelter, food services and a resource center that served more than 6,000 people last year and that the organization hopes a purpose‑built campus would reduce returns to homelessness and local public costs.

Mitchell said Urban Ministries housed 588 individuals in emergency shelter last year, with 300 positive exits and 95 of those exits leading to permanent housing. He told the board Urban Ministries’ county funding typically represents about 10% of its operating budget and that the group’s FY26 request would represent roughly 16% of its projected budget for the year. “We are asking you to prioritize this project and allocate $3,000,000 to support the predevelopment costs and the initial design phase so that we can move forward with urgency,” Mitchell said during the presentation.

Why the county might consider it: presenters argued that a single-site, collaborative model would improve outcomes — shorter shelter stays, higher housing readiness and reduced criminal justice and emergency health costs — and pointed to a feasibility study and a community fundraising feasibility assessment that showed potential to raise $10–12 million locally if substantial public funding were pledged. The St. Philip site is already committed by the church, which Urban Ministries described as a major in‑kind contribution.

What the county heard from commissioners: commissioners expressed interest and a desire to coordinate with existing initiatives. Vice Chair Mike Lee and others urged the presenters to provide a firmer breakdown of the $3 million request, to confirm how city and county funding would be shared for capital and operating costs, and to identify short‑term pilot options that could launch before a permanent facility is built. Commissioner Nida Allam (chair) and others noted the county manager has already included the project as a line item in the county’s capital improvement planning materials.

Next steps: Urban Ministries’ presentation functions as a formal request; the board did not vote on the funding allocation during the May 5 meeting. County staff indicated the request has been included in the county capital improvement plan as a line item for further consideration during budget deliberations. Urban Ministries said it will continue design work, private fundraising and coordination with the city and other partners.