Winston-Salem’s Bethesda Center Shifts Focus from Federal Housing Programs
The Bethesda Center in Winston-Salem is making a strategic shift by withdrawing from federal housing initiatives, a move that reflects changing priorities in addressing homelessness.
The initiative, previously funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered locally, aimed at transitioning individuals from homelessness to stable housing. However, Bethesda Center’s Executive Director, Chris Leab, has announced that stepping away from these programs will help cut down on administrative expenses not covered by the grants.
This financial adjustment is intended to enhance the center’s primary mission: offering shelter and essential services to the homeless population. Leab notes an upward trend in homelessness since summer, exacerbated by decreased federal food aid leading to increased demand even as the center’s food resources dwindle.
The demographic of those seeking Bethesda’s assistance includes more elderly individuals than before. Leab states, “The people I’m seeing [in] their 60s, 70s and 80s,” attributing this to skyrocketing utility and housing costs that result in evictions and lack of support systems, leaving many without options other than the center.
He further clarifies that only a small fraction of Bethesda’s shelter users were participating in the federal grant programs, suggesting that the impact of this withdrawal on the center’s overall clientele will be minimal.
