Congregate Shelters

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"I remember when I first got here I was nervous and anxious; it was the first time I had ever been in a shelter with my two year old son. I didn't know what to expect and I was afraid. To my surprise, I pulled up to a house and it didn't look like a shelter at all. Inside, it was clean and organized and the residents seemed friendly, thankfully it was nothing like I had anticipated." - Congregate Shelter resident

There are over 3,000 families in the state's shelter system. It is estimated that an additional 3,000 persons in families with children are living in doubled up housing situations because they lack a home of their own.

Willis Center operates three shelters to provide stable, transitional housing and culturally competent case management for twenty-seven families in the area.

Willis House and Shepherd’s Place I and II provide a stable, safe and supportive environment with essential case management services to help families become independent and financially secure. Families receive temporary housing and the resources to find permanent homes and jobs, so they can live without the risk of future homelessness.  

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance securing housing please refer to the Department of Housing and Community Development's How to Obtain Housing Guide and contact your local Housing Authority. Click here for information on emergency shelter.

The congregate living shelters have private spaces for each family and communal kitchen, living room, and bathroom spaces shared by the families in the shelter. Families have a safe home, instead of the unstable and crowded spaces that many families faced before shelter placement. 

Case managers and staff at the shelters focus on the goal of helping each family find permanent housing and meeting the specific needs of each family as they work towards financial stability.