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CITY. THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM IS MOVING FORWARD WITH PLANS TO LAUNCH A PILOT PROGRAM CALLED HOME FOR ALL SAFE SLEEP NOW. TWO YEARS AGO, THE CITY APPROVED A $1 MILLION BID WITH PALLET SHELTER TO BUY MICRO SHELTERS. NOW, HERE’S A PICTURE OF MICRO SHELTERS YOU’RE LOOKING AT NOW IN DC FROM PALLET SHELTER. BUT BUYING SHELTERS IS JUST ONE OF THE THINGS LOCAL LEADERS HAVE DONE IN THIS PROGRAM. IN FACT, IT WAS THE FOCUS OF TODAY’S BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL MEETING IN �������� 13. MAGDALA LOUISSAINT WAS THERE MAGDALA WHAT’S NEW WITH THE PROGRAM? YEAH, SO, JARVIS, COUNCIL’S DECISION TODAY PUTS THE CITY WITHIN ITS SECOND PHASE OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS PROGRAM. JUST HERE ACROSS THE STREET FROM ME, WHERE WE’RE STANDING ON SECOND AVENUE NORTH, YOU CAN SEE WHERE HOMELESS PEOPLE FREQUENT AND LIVE. BUT HERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS SIDEWALK IS FAITH CHAPEL CARE CENTER HERE. THEY’RE ALREADY DOING HOMELESS OR HELPING HOMELESS PEOPLE WITHIN THE AREA. AND THIS IS ONE OF THE LOCATIONS WHERE PEOPLE WILL SEE MICRO SHELTERS ONCE IT COMES UP LATER THIS YEAR. GLENDALE DAVIS TELLS US HE’S HOMELESS. HE’S BEEN LIVING ON BIRMINGHAM STREETS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. I’VE BEEN OFF DRUGS FOR FIVE YEARS. I’M TRYING TO GET MY LIFE BACK TOGETHER. WE SHARED WITH HIM. BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL APPROVED A $1.19 MILLION OPERATING BUDGET FOR FAITH CHAPEL CARE CENTER. THIS ALLOWS THE ORGANIZATION TO PLACE UP TO 15 MICRO SHELTERS LIKE THIS ON ITS PROPERTY FOR THE UNHOUSED POPULATION. DAVIS IS ECSTATIC ABOUT THE NEWS. YEAH, THAT’LL WORK. THAT WILL WORK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MEGAN VENABLE. THOMAS HAS BEEN PART OF THE HOME FOR ALL INITIATIVE SINCE THE CITY LAUNCHED THE IDEA IN 2023. WE REALLY SEE THIS PROGRAM AS A PILOT TO IDENTIFY SOME APPROACHES THAT CAN WORK IN ADDRESSING SOME OF THE MANY CHALLENGES THAT OUR BUSINESS OWNERS AND NEIGHBORS HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING AROUND HOMELESSNESS. COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED URBAN ALCHEMY SHOULD GET $1.5 MILLION TO OVERSEE UP TO TWO SITES THAT WILL HOLD 30 TO 60 MICRO SHELTERS. ALL IN FAVOR, LET IT BE KNOWN BY SAYING AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED. SAY NAY. COUNCILOR JT MOORE REPRESENTS DISTRICT FOUR AND HE’D LIKE TO SEE THE MICRO SHELTER SITE. URBAN ALCHEMY WILL OVERSEE HELPING THE HOMELESS POPULATION IN HIS DISTRICT. IT’S ENOUGH FOR THERE TO BE COMPLAINTS FROM RESIDENTS AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO COME TO DIFFERENT FEEDING PROGRAMS AND THERE TO BE A COMMUNITY THAT CAN BE SERVICED IN DISTRICT FOUR. AS FOR IDENTIFYING WHO WILL MOVE INTO THE WELLNESS VILLAGE, CITY LEADERS SAY THERE’S ALREADY A LIST OF PEOPLE INTERESTED. AND SO THE CITY HAS SET REQUIREMENTS FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WILL BE RECEIVING THIS MONEY. FOR EXAMPLE, FAITH CHAPELS CARE CENTER HERE. THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO BE PROVIDING COUNSELING SESSIONS AND INDEPENDENT LIVING TRAINING FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO WILL BE STAYING IN THE MICRO SHELTERS. NOW, FAITH CHAPEL’S CARE CENTER WILL SEE THE MICRO SHELTERS COME UP LATER ON IN THE SUMMER. AS FOR URBAN ALCHEMY AND THE CITY, THEY’RE STILL LOOKING FOR LOCATIONS AND THEY HOPE TO BE OPERATIONAL COME THE WINTER TIME.