Homeless shelter makes pitch to Copperas Cove city leaders for local ARPA funds

By LYNETTE SOWELL 
Cove Leader-Press 

In 2022, Cove House Emergency Homeless Shelter had to deny services to 39 men and 28 women, 13 of whom were veterans, as well as 110 families.
Currently, the shelter has four units of housing, in which it can house six women, six men, and two families at a time. 
Cove House Executive Director Brian Hawkins has, in the past, made a request to the City of Copperas Cove for funding to help construct a six-plex, which would help the facility expand its services to the community and surrounding area. 
Previously, Cove House provided temporary shelter to families and displaced individuals, but changed up its program to provide longer-term assistance to help people get on their feet and into a stable, permanent living situation. 
“Over the past several years Cove House has developed the Firm Foundation program to better assist those seeking to build a better life and return to permanent, affordable housing,” Hawkins said. 
“This program has had great success but it does restrict the overall number of people that can receive services. The only solution to this particular issue is creating more space.”
The shelter has had a plan and has been working to raise funds to double its occupancy from four units to eight.
Hawkins had initially requested $475,000 in funds on behalf of Cove House, toward its expansion. 
The original estimated cost for the expansion was $500,000, Hawkins said. 
“We were hopeful to find some additional funding as well as possible discounts or donations from the builder and suppliers. In the time since the original request was made (to the council), building prices have skyrocketed,” he said. 
The proposed building is 5,544 square feet, and at a price of $150 per square foot, today’s cost would be $831,600.
“We have a proposed partnership with Dustin Dewald that will make it possible to complete this structure for substantially less money,” Hawkins said. Through that partnership, the building can be completed for $600,000. 
Hawkins has submitted the proposal to the city for the council’s consideration at its upcoming meeting on April 18.
He is asking for Cove House supporters to attend the meeting, or if they can’t attend, to contact the city council members directly.
For nearly 28 years, Cove House has served the City of Copperas Cove by providing shelter, food, clothing, toiletries and other items needed for day-to-day living. The facility also provides a computer lab for job searches, resume writing, and on some occasions class work as well as ID applications. Ten years ago, Cove House opened the Cove House Free Clinic and currently provides several basic and specialty disciplines to those in need in our community.
This coming Tuesday, April 18, the city council will meet, and on the proposed agenda is an item to allocate the remainder of the city’s ARPA coronavirus relief funds. 
So far, the city received $8,235,166.01, of which $7,544,132 million has already been dedicated to city infrastructure projects, public safety, and broadband infrastructure, as well as premium pay for essential city workers. 
However, the city has $691,000 left in unallocated funding.
Unallocated projects on the list for council consideration include a Firearms Range Cover & Storage Building, Fire Operations Personal Protective Equipment, Fire Operations Medical Equipment, the reconfiguration and expansion of Fire Station #3, and outside requests from Boys and Girls Club of Central Texas for its Phase 2 development, as well as the Cove House expansion project, all of which total $1.7 million.