CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A new homeless shelter is going up, and on Tuesday, the Champaign City Council is voting to help pay for it.

The new center is on Mattis Avenue and Sangamon Drive. Council members are expected to approve $400,000, helping with the estimated $1.9 million cost.

It will help with a new H-Vac system in their building, among other upgrades.

CU at Home’s Director Melissa Courtwright has been working to get another homeless shelter for a couple of years, and now it’s close to completion.
“We wanted to make sure that not only were we in a non-congregate shelter,” Courtwright said. “But that we could grow our capacity as well.”

They still need money to cover the price tag.
“This is really a next step facility that helps people get back on their feet,” said Champaign Mayor Deborah Feinen. “And we’re really excited to have that in our community.”
 
The building on South Mattis is under renovation right now. It needs new heating and air-conditioning, and they’ll be adding amenities like reading and TV rooms.

Courtwright said for people living there, it’ll be more than just a place to stay. It’ll be a foundation to get life back on track for those like Alex Coker.

“I’m working full time now, you know, I can pay my phone bill and stuff,” he said. “I know what day it is. Yeah, it’s hard to be on the streets and, you know, make appointments or, you know, like the doctor or something at the courthouse.”
               
Coker lives at CU at Home’s mid-barrier shelter in Urbana. While that home can house eight people, the new building will hold 26. Courtwright said the ability to expand will help more tenants give back, like by volunteering at local schools.
“To let younger people know, ‘Hey, if you do what I did, you might end up where I was,’” she said. “And so that’s a thriving, integrated person out in the community that’s making it better for all of us.”
It’s an investment, Coker said, that can pay dividends for the community going forward.
“It’s a second chance where we felt we’d run out of chances,” he said. “And it’s kind of a miracle, you know, and I’m really thankful for it.”

Courtwright said the building should be finished by the end of the year, and they hope to start welcoming people in early 2026.