THE Montego Bay night shelter that was recently upgraded by the St James parish council at a cost of $1.5 million, is to reopen its doors on December 3.

The reopening comes seven months after the Community for the Upliftment of the Mentally Ill (CUMI), which used to operate the facility, opted out of a lease with the council because its client base had begun to decrease.

Since then the facility, located at Albion in the western city, has been expanded by the council, to accommodate 24 people — up from 17. The bathroom facilities have been improved, and there have been a number of additions to the structure, which include:

* a reception area and a special holding area;

* a dining area and a kitchenette; and

* a storeroom.

The objective of the additions, Inspector of Poor, Jeremiah Dehaney said, is to facilitate the smooth operation of the facility.

“The first routine is that (homeless persons) are properly searched (in the special holding area), and get a change of clothes. Then (they will) go to the waiting area where there will be proper screening,” he told the Observer. “Let’s say the person is on medication, we will ask, and then get in touch with the institution that the person is from, and… find out what type of medication they are on… so we’ll be able to have it there. (After that), they are given a bed.”

Christopher Powell, the council’s secretary/manager said they are now in the process of identifying people to man the facility. The targeted number of employees, Powell said, is 11 and will include:

* a nurse/supervisor and four nurse assistants;

* another supervisor;

* a security guard and a caretaker; as well as

* a cook and a cleaner.

Meanwhile, he said, the council is to meet next Thursday with representatives of organisations that are involved in the care of street people — like CUMI and the Cornwall Regional Hospital — in order to streamline their operations.

At present, Dehaney said, a significant number of the city’s homeless utilise the City Spirit centre along Orange street where they are able to get a meal and a change of clothes. But at nightfall, they have no choice but to sleep on the streets.

A similar fate awaits those who complete rehabilitation at the Cornwall Regional Hospital. And it is that current state of affairs that Dehaney said they intended to remedy via discussions at next week’s meeting, which is to take place at the offices of the council.

In the end, Dehaney said, “you will find that our street people programme in Montego Bay will be such a unique one, just like a water cycle… off the street, to City Spirit, the Cornwall Regional Hospital for rehab, (with) CUMI as a liaison and then to the (night) centre.”