Welcome House of Northern Kentucky broke ground on its new homeless services center in Covington Thursday.
The $6.4 million facility will increase Welcome House's capacity from 35 to 60 people. It will also consolidate operations spread across three buildings under one roof.
CEO Danielle Amrine says the new facility will be a "one-stop shop" for its services.
"They can receive shelter, they can receive case management, medical care, social security disability benefits, income assistance, employee assistance," Amrine said. "It's all located in one facility."
Covington Mayor Joe Meyer said that people are best served in places they are familiar with.
"People need to be met where they are and not where we want them to be," Meyer said. "Serving invisible poverty is just as important as serving visible poverty."
The center will also have a new kitchen, elevators and upgraded security systems and is set to open next year. Welcome House has been operating since 1982.
Emergency shelters across the region have been expanding during the pandemic. Last December, the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky broke ground on a new facility that will be able to hold 68 people per night. That same month, Bethany House Services announced plans to build a $16.5 million shelter that will replace the seven homes it's currently using.
