Leaders say the City of Birmingham needs more services to help the local homeless population. The operators of one of Birmingham’s oldest standing homeless shelters want to move and rebuild, creating a larger, more welcoming building in a more suitable location. And the change couldn’t come soon enough.
“This building was never meant to service the amount of people that we service,” Anne Wright, executive director of the Firehouse Shelter, tells WELD. “It’s basically collapsing around itself, and it has been for many, many years. “
Nick Patterson, editor of the weekly newspaper WELD, tells WBHM’s Rachel Lindley about the work and future of the Firehouse Shelter west of downtown Birmingham. Patterson joins WBHM most Thursdays during All Things Considered.