Q18. What are the requirements to stay in the GRACE shelter?

This is a question from our Q&A series connected by Infotech.

As a low-barrier shelter, our only requirement for shelter guests is that they work on a housing plan, to the best of their ability, with the support of our team. We start with a basic 30-day stay, and as long as someone is making progress toward that housing plan, their stay is extended.

For some people, this means looking for work with the support of a housing specialist and campus partners like CareerSource. For others, it means gathering the paperwork - again, with the support of campus partners like Holy Trinity Episcopal Church - needed to move into housing, like an ID, birth certificate, or social security card. There is no residency requirement to use the shelter, but we prioritize Alachua County residents for available shelter beds. In 2019, 73% of people entering the emergency shelter reported living or working in Alachua County before they became homeless.