New homeless shelter with 42 beds set to open in Cumberland County

A new homeless shelter in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, is set to open to help people facing homelessness, as the nonprofit Community CARES says homelessness is on the rise. The shelter, called The Cove, will provide 42 beds. Beth Kempf, executive director of Community CARES in Cumberland County, said rising housing costs are one of the reasons the organization is expanding.

“Homelessness is not a respecter of a person. And so, it can happen to many people in many different ways. There’re no two stories the same,” Kempf said.

About 100 people are showing up daily to Community Cares’ current shelter, which prompted the organization to open The Cove. The new facility is more than 9,000 square feet and will have 16 beds for women and 26 for men. Kempf said the organization has been helping people with basic needs, such as IDs and birth certificates, and ultimately finding stable housing. Community CARES already has private rooms for medical treatment and recuperative care, but Kempf said the new facility will offer a different experience for clients.

Kempf described semi-private spaces with a seven-foot wall, which she called “their little cove.” She said there is a women’s section and a men’s section, giving clients a place to get away from the group.

“The population continues to increase. We feel overrun by it on our best day, that we need to pivot and do something,” she said.

According to Cumberland County’s Housing Coalition, 878 people were identified through its coordinated entry system as experiencing or at risk of homelessness this year, 53 more than the 825 identified last year. The county’s point-in-time count, a one-night census conducted in late January, found at least 256 people experiencing homelessness, also an increase over the year before.

Kempf said the shelter will give people opportunities to work toward their goals, offering a place to rest, use the kitchen, take classes and use computers, a picture of welcoming the stranger (Matthew 25:35).

“They’ll be able to come from their sleeping space, utilize the kitchen, work on their goals. Take a class. Work on the computer. Come here. Interact. Get a cooking class,” she said.

Kempf said the system allows more than 60 days to help people find a place they can call home. “We’re going to push our clients into the community to continue to work. But just like when you come home, you’re like, ‘Oh, I just need a moment of quiet.’ We’re going to be able to provide them that moment of quiet that we’ve never been able to before,” she said.

While The Cove requires an ID to stay, Community CARES says it will help if a client needs one. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness, you can call 211 for resources.

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