South Bend Common Council approves re-zoning for New Day Intake Center

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Monday night, the South Bend Common Council unanimously voted to approve the re-zoning for a building that will serve the homeless.

The site on Old Cleveland Road is now one step closer to becoming the long-awaited New Day Intake Center.

The center is planned to be "low barrier," meaning the requirements to get into a bed are less strict, allowing for more people to be sheltered.

The new location's approval comes after a previous site on Bendix Drive got major pushback.

The Project's Director, Margaret Pfeil, said, "Now the next step is we have a fundraising campaign to raise the rest of the capital necessary to build this facility. And we hope to start construction later this year."

Re-zoning is a key step as the group needs to work with local governments for the project's success.

Council members unanimously approved it while expressing gratitude for the non-profit leaders involved.

As of September 2024, the organization aimed to raise $16 million for the New Day Intake Center.

At least one person at Monday's meeting spoke against the center, criticizing the use of city dollars for a church-affiliated non-profit.