North Strand Housing Shelter serving growing needs

The North Strand Housing Shelter, in its new building for little more than a year, continues to face growing need for temporary housing. In the 12 months since the new building opened in June 2015, the shelter on S.C. 9 in Longs, housed 184 people, including 21 children and 49 military veterans.

Dana Black, founder and volunteer executive director, anticipates much higher numbers during the next 12 months because “in the last six months, there was a great deal of increase, probably 20 to 25 percent.” Black feels that during the first six months of having the new building, people needing emergency shelter perhaps were not yet aware of the expanded capacity. There is a waiting list for applicants.

North Strand Housing Shelter first opened in December 2010, in a small (16 beds) building renovated by volunteers and community contributions. At first, shelter guests overwhelmingly were men but that soon changed, as homelessness itself changed, and the shelter assisted more women and children. The new building has a potential capacity of 53 beds, including family rooms and a wing for veterans.

The smaller building was converted into five units of more permanent housing for veterans who receive minimal financial support, such that a rent payment would take a large portion of the veteran’s total assistance. “We have just received donations to put new thermopane windows in the older building,” Black says.

Of concern to Black are the increased numbers of applicants who contacted the shelter. In 2014, volunteer phone operators had calls representing a total of 753 people, including 142 children. In 2015, the total was 980 applicants including 269 children. “That’s a lot of people looking for housing – and a lot of children on the streets.”

Of the 184 shelter guests in 2015-16, approximately half found employment and housing or, with the assistance of the shelter and other organizations such as North Strand Helping Hand, returned to their homes in other areas. Besides Helping Hand, the shelter also works with organizations such as Teen Angels (North Myrtle Beach High School), ECHO (Eastern Carolina Homeless Organization) and veterans groups such as the Welcome Home and Resource Center in Little River.

People staying in the shelter are required to participate in life skills classes, financial planning and counseling through the Center for Counseling & Wellness in North Myrtle Beach. On Tuesday, Black was contacting an applicant about an available family room. Another applicant, told about the required counseling and so forth, said she would not be attending those. Informed that participation was not an option, she responded, “I think we’ll be fine in our car.”

A much-needed children’s playground will be added to the shelter with a Rotary Club of Little River matching grant of $3,000 from Rotary District 7770. “We have just been approved for the Rotary matching grant to add to existing funds (from Ocean Drive Presbyterian Church) for our children’s playground,” Black says. A playground is a “big need for children.” Black is the new president of the Rotary Club of Little River.

The playground grant is the second to benefit the shelter. In 2014, a similar matching grant, plus $3,000 raised by the local club, furnished the new shelter building.

This story was originally published July 26, 2016 at 2:54 PM with the headline "North Strand Housing Shelter serving growing needs."