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GREENSBORO, N.C. — Greensboro City Council has approved the purchase of temporary pallet shelters to help those experiencing homelessness during the winter months.

The shelters are approximately 64 square feet in size and will feature two single beds and heat source. There will also be a mobile bathroom on-site, along with case management and overnight security. 

Council voted 7-1 to approve $535,014 to purchase the structures. That does not include factors like overnight security and the mobile bathrooms. Councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter said those factors will raise the overall cost. 

"We immediately need to get people off the streets," said councilmember Marikay Abuzuaiter, who voted for the shelters. "We are going to have people freezing and dying in our streets or becoming deathly ill. Is it perfect? Of course not, but it certainly is something that offers at least a temporary solution to get people into shelter at night."

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Scott Jones with Tiny House Community Development, Inc., a non-profit that builds tiny homes to help reduce homelessness, said there are other solutions. 

"I would rather see this money spent by contracting with local hotels and other businesses to provide the services needed instead of some temporary structures," Jones said. "I think this money could be well spent just keeping jobs in hotels."

City officials say the shelters are more cost-effective than hotel usage. Abuzuaiter said they need to do something.

"I want to be known as someone who tried, tried to take care of the situation and tried to help someone that needs help and I believe that’s what we are doing with this. It is a start," Abuzuaiter said.

The locations have not been finalized yet, but city officials are considering areas where there is a significant homeless population, access to service providers and things like walkability/public transportation.

City Council's vote is contingent on the shelters passing fire and building codes which Abuzuaiter expects will happen.

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