Homeless shelter in Brunswick closed for 65 days, forced to delay reopening

Brunswick, Georgia – The 65-day closure of homeless day shelters in Brunswick has ended, but no date has yet been set for reopening.

The closure follows multiple complaints from business owners and local residents. The well is initially scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, and director Wright Culpepper said he expects the shelter to be operational by now.

The shelter will need a permit from the city and will have to make some changes to reopen.

It’s been more than two months since The Well voluntarily closed.

“We don’t have an exact target date for reopening, but we plan to do so soon. We are trying to take some measures regarding safety,” Culpepper said.

Culpepper said he received an impromptu request from the city of Brunswick two days ago for a meeting on Wednesday.

“Our staff and board are there, but we don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. I think we’re going to be talking about safety and security,” Culpepper said.

The Well closed on April 23 after a series of complaints from downtown residents and business owners.

The complaint included reports of violent attacks by homeless people in downtown Brunswick dating back to February, ranging from armed robberies, home invasions and rapes of minors.

Safety remains a major concern, which is why Culpepper plans to build a fence around the porch where people spent the night sleeping.

“We have spoken with police departments and police chiefs and they are aware that the sidewalks and roads are public property in downtown Brunswick. I have shown that I intend to do so,” he said.

With this upgrade, the shelter hopes to resume business and continue serving the Brunswick community.

Culpepper also aims to build a 24-hour shelter in Brunswick, but not soon.

He hopes to work with the city to open the well first before taking such action.

News4JAX has reached out to the City of Brunswick for comment but has not received a response.

WJXT News4JAX Copyright 2023 – All rights reserved.

https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2023/06/28/brunswick-homeless-shelter-shut-down-for-65-days-forced-to-delay-reopening/ Homeless shelter in Brunswick closed for 65 days, forced to delay reopening

Exit mobile version