The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service has been a mainstay for helping the poor and homeless in the Chapel Hill area for 50 years. The IFC continues its daily work of sheltering and feeding our poor, even as it strives to build a new facility for homeless men.

When the UNC Board of Trustees offered land for this purpose in early 2008, I remember executive director Chris Moran expressing delight that the new location was perfect for the new Community House! Having just moved to town, I did not realize that the IFC did not own its facility and had been searching for years for the right location to build a permanent shelter.

There has been a lot of conversation and controversy about this project. The fact of the matter is that the old Municipal Building, in use as a shelter for over 25 years, is miserably inadequate and poorly located to serve men striving to rise above their dire circumstances.

The second-floor bedrooms are so crowded that the men are required to keep their few personal belongings in the basement. Office space is almost non-existent. There is no storage space for donated clothing and blankets. Parking for our volunteers to serve meals is limited. The kitchen is small and cluttered; in fact, some kitchen freezers have to be kept on the second floor, and canned food storage is in the basement.

As a volunteer, I have managed the mental health clinic at Community House for three years. There is only one small room available for services, and this room is shared with the medical clinic, neurology clinic, pharmacists, social workers, disability specialists, Veteran's Administration advisers, intake workers and shelter managers. It is also the location for emergency first-aid treatment, medical files and storage of the men's medications. Such high-volume usage makes it nearly impossible to provide our men with the privacy they deserve when undergoing treatment or seeking help.

The facility proposed for 1315 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. will have the space and atmosphere conducive to truly helping rehabilitate our homeless men. It will have rooms for a variety of clinical services. There will be a waiting area, four private consultation rooms, two intake rooms, a secure area for storing records, a small pharmacy, two dental care rooms, and offices for the staff.

The women and children who reside at the IFC's Project HomeStart on Homestead Road will also be served at the new Community House, thus eliminating some duplication of services and consolidating the use of professional volunteers.

The men's bedrooms and living space will be on the second floor along with a kitchen and dining area that will no longer be shared with the Community Kitchen. Our dream of private, comprehensive, and confidential care will become a reality!

On Sunday, Feb. 6, the IFC is hosting an open house at the current location. Many local residents have never been inside Community House. We invite everyone to come see our facility so they can better understand our tremendous need to build and relocate.