The Phoenix City Council has approved two contracts to help house more than 250 homeless families each year.

The city’s $8 million contribution to the Salvation Army and UMOM New Day Center will assist in addressing an “urgent” need for additional family shelter, Rachel Milne, director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, said.

“Right now, a family who is experiencing homelessness typically waits 10 to 11 weeks before they can get into a shelter. These projects are crucial so that the families aren’t forced to wait any longer to get a roof over their heads.”  

The city is investing $6 million to add an additional family shelter building to the Salvation Army campus at 2707 E. Van Buren St.

The new building will add 12 family units with beds for as many as 60 people. The expansion will increase the number of families the shelter can serve at one time from 24 to 36, according to a release.

It is expected that the additional rooms will serve more than 170 families each year, including more than 260 children.

The Salvation Army Family Shelter provides housing, meals, case management, life skills classes and occupational and crisis counseling to families for up to four months, Phoenix officials said in the release.

The city also allocated $2 million to create an additional 20-family shelter units at the UMOM New Day Centers campus at 3333 E. Van Buren St.

The money will cover remodeling a building on the campus that can serve an additional 80 families annually. Families typically stay in the shelter program for about three months, officials said.