Construction on a new 250-bed homeless shelter in Volusia County west of Daytona Beach could begin within the next year. The shelter would be near a facility that already provides addiction and mental health services.
Volusia County has offered the land and to cover the $4 million in construction costs. Daytona Beach Deputy City Manager Gary Shimun says the 16 cities in the county would cover the operating costs, estimated at more than $1.5 million.
“The city won’t do it by itself, or the cities themselves won’t do it and the county won’t do it, so it’s probably a non-profit organization that will own and operate the facility,” said Shimun.
The formula for how much each city will be asked to pay is still being worked out. Once that’s presented, each city will vote on whether to commit funding. DeLand Mayor Robert Apgar says he supports the proposed homeless shelter but wants to make sure other cities pay their fair share too.