Madison Finds Site For Homeless Day Shelter

The Madison homeless day shelter found a home on Thursday after years of difficulty locking down a site.

The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce will relocate, allowing the day shelter to move in, county officials and business executives announced.

“The Chamber building is as close to ideal a site as you will find,” Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said.

The building is near bus lines, located in a commercial district near the state capitol and near homeless shelters for those who need a place to sleep at night, Parisi said.

The Chamber building will be sold to the county for $1.75 million and requires fewer renovations than other locations, Chamber President Zach Brandon said.

“This is part of our legacy to be able to help this community solve what we view as one of the toughest challenges that we’ve had in recent memory,” Brandon said.

The day shelter will accommodate 100 people and include a kitchen, showers and social services. The new shelter could be open as early as November after approval from the Dane County Board and Madison Common Council.