Plans for the Jimmie Hale Mission’s $4.4 million downtown expansion moved forward Tuesday after Birmingham approved $1 million in funding for the project.
Under the agreement, Birmingham will provide $250,000 a year for four years to support construction of the new service center. The city had pledged the funding in October. Jimmie Hale Mission will complete the project, which is designed to provide safe shelter, supportive services and pathways to stability for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
“This investment reflects our commitment to compassionate, practical solutions that move people from crisis to stability,” said Alanah Melton, the director of unhoused strategies for the city of Birmingham. “This project will serve as a bridge and a beacon of hope – connecting our most vulnerable neighbors to housing, healthcare and the support they need to move forward.”
Executive Director Perryn Carroll told WBRC in October that the new two-story facility will sit along 2nd Avenue North, directly across from the Mission’s existing men’s campus. The planned facility will serve as a centralized hub for services currently scattered across the city.
Once completed, the year-round service center will include nearly 100 shelter beds, family rooms, dining and social spaces, laundry facilities and dedicated areas for case management, health care, legal assistance and employment support.
The center will also provide accommodations for pets, recognizing the barriers pet ownership can create for individuals seeking shelter
“Jimmie Hale Mission appreciates the City of Birmingham’s contribution of $250,000 per year for four years toward the total construction cost of $4.4 million and we remain committed to working hard to raise the remaining funds to make this vital service hub a reality for our area’s most vulnerable citizens who need a hand up to be able to return to being healthy, contributing members of their families and the community,” said Perryn Carroll, executive director of Jimmie Hale Mission.
