Urban Ministries seeks $72 million Homeless Services Center; commissioners ask for budget detail

The Durham County Board of Commissioners on Monday heard a presentation from Urban Ministries of Durham proposing a Collaborative Impact Project to create a multi-story Homeless Services Center adjacent to the county Department of Social Services on East Main Street.

Sheldon Mitchell, executive director of Urban Ministries of Durham, said the initiative aims to centralize services now provided by partner organizations and projected pre-development and construction costs of $72 million. “We strive to serve at least 150 people and the demand keeps rising,” Mitchell said, noting space and funding constraints that have limited current operations.

The proposal would bring partners — including Families Moving Forward, Project Access and Lincoln Community Health Center — under one roof to provide wraparound services such as shelter, health care linkage and case management. Mitchell said Urban Ministries has leveraged partnerships with Veterans Affairs to deliver on-site services but has not identified an alternative site that would colocate all needed services.

Commissioners asked about shared City funding and short-term steps. Mitchell said Urban Ministries does not receive direct City operating funds for its core budget but is open to conversations about cost-sharing. County Manager Hager and staff asked UMD to return with a budget breakdown and a plan for short-term investments.

The Board directed staff to schedule Urban Ministries to present at a future Budget Work Session and asked UMD to provide a detailed breakdown of planning steps and costs to inform budget deliberations. The presentation did not include a formal funding request adopted by the Board; the matters were set for further review at the Budget Work Session.