Sunlight spilled across the Brothers’ Keeper shelter on Broadway on Monday as community members packed into the building for an announcement that could redefine how the city serves homeless men and veterans.
The gathering centered on plans for a new Brothers’ Keeper facility, a project leaders said will expand services and create a more stable environment for men experiencing homelessness. The shelter expects to welcome its first residents at the new site in October.
“I’m almost to tears,” said executive director Isaac Mootye, smiling as he looked around the packed room.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said the project represents a major step forward in how the city supports residents facing housing insecurity.
“This will be a safe, dignified residential and resource center for men — a place of restoration, stability, and opportunity,” Melton said. “Hard times do not discriminate. [Through hardships and bad breaks], we can find ourselves struggling, and when that moment comes, a strong city should be there to support you.”
The city has committed $3 million to relocate the shelter, drawing on about $700,000 in leftover American Rescue Plan Act funds and more than $2 million in Community Development Block Grant funding. The finalized project will be presented to the Gary Common Council on Tuesday night, where it is expected to pass without resistance.
The new location will be near 21st Avenue and Washington Street, about a block away from the current site.
“This space has been more than cramped, yet filled with compassion,” said Common Council President Linda Barnes-Caldwell, who represents the city’s 5th District. The shelter has served homeless men on Broadway since 1986, and Barnes-Caldwell said the relocation marks a fresh start for the corridor.
“After more than 40 years on the corner of 21st and Broadway, Brothers’ Keeper is now preparing for a new chapter.”
Construction is set to begin in June, with plans to welcome residents before Halloween.
The modern two-story building is expected to house 50 beds, which is double the current location’s capacity. In addition to the expanded dormitory space, the building will have counseling offices, interview and conference rooms, multipurpose community spaces, storage space, a larger kitchen, and several other amenities.
Officials said the shelter’s urban garden will also move near the new location. Food pantry services will continue, and the new location is expected to allow for expanded warming services, improved accessibility to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the ability to serve more residents during extreme weather conditions.
Mootye, who choked up during his remarks, expressed gratitude to the city and community for supporting the shelter.
“I’m so happy,” he said, smiling.
Community members like Altonio Goldsby filled the room, excited to hear what community members had to say.
Goldsby, who goes by the nickname “Mutt,” had always known about the shelter, and when he learned about a young man sleeping outside, he wanted to help him find somewhere warm to lay his head. After getting him some clothes and food, he dropped him off at Brothers’ Keeper, but that didn’t seem like enough.
“I wanted to see what’s going on here with my own eyes,” he said. Like others in the room, Goldsby said he is excited about what the new facility could mean for the community.
While the city is committing $3 million, officials are still looking to community members to assist with furniture, technology, blankets, and other items that can support the cause.