Daytona Beach homeless shelter opens following years of delays

A Daytona Beach homeless shelter has finally opened its doors after years of delays, financial issues and leadership changes.

The First Step Shelter is located near West International Speedway Boulevard and Red John Drive.

Channel 9 covered the shelter’s groundbreaking two years ago, but the idea of a shelter began far before that.

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“Depending on who you talk to, it goes back a good two decades that people really started to notice there was a need to have a homeless shelter in eastern Volusia County,” said the executive director of the shelter, Victoria Fahlberg.

According to the Homeless Coalition, there are more than 2,000 homeless people in Volusia and Flagler counties on any given day.

While there are other homeless shelters in Volusia County, First Step is the first to cater to single men and women.

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“This shelter is called a transitional homeless shelter, which means when people come here, it’s not just for emergencies,” Fahlberg said. “It’s not to come and leave or just hang out. This is a place where you come, and we offer a plethora of services.”

Funded by the City of Daytona Beach and Volusia County, the shelter will be able to house 120 people when fully operational.

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