Community Human Services acquires Monterey property to be used as homeless shelter

MONTEREY, Calif. (KION) Community Human Services announced that the board of directors has approved the acquisition of a property located at 600 E. Franklin Street in Monterey.

The property will be used as a homeless shelter for women and families, and the board chairperson said they are 100% committed to making the shelter a reality.

The property was built in 1930 and once housed the Union Ice Factory. Now it is home to the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Community Human Services says it will begin raising funds to convert it for use as a 30 to 35-bed shelter, which is estimated to cost about $1 to $1.5 million.

Both the fundraising campaign and the improvements are expected to take about a year each, so the organization expects that the shelter will open sometime around summer 2023.

The organization was able to get the property with the help of donor Mark Shuman and his family.

“I’m super proud to be part of this project and happy to be working with Community Human Services to bring something to Monterey that we don’t have," Shuman said. The organization said Shuman also supports their runaway and homeless youth programs.

Shuman also partnered with Community Human Services and Gathering for Women to open the first homeless shelter for women and families on the Monterey Peninsula, Casa de Noche Buena, which opened in January.