After months of searching, a St. Paul social services organization secured a relocation space for its homeless shelter.

Back in May, Luther Seminary in St. Paul was on track to help with this effort, but they pulled out of the deal.

RELATED: Plan to relocate homeless shelter halted after Luther Seminary pulls out of deal

Model Cities and Central Baptist Church are now teaming up to provide shelter for the unhoused through its Safe Space Shelter effort.  

“Every day when I come to work, there are unhoused people on our property. It breaks the heart to see that,” said Pastor Craig Dahl of Central Baptist Church.

Right in the heart of Central Baptist Church, Pastor Dahl is filling it with hope.

“Certainly, the unhoused population needs to be cared for,” Dahl said. “To make this an opportunity for safe space, overnight, warmth, safety and I think providing hope.”

The St. Paul church and nonprofit are teaming up to provide a safe space shelter for the unhoused.

“We’re really, really excited about it because we share the same vision,” he said.

The church has two floors of empty space that will be turned into a referral-based overnight shelter with no in-and-out privileges.

At least 25 beds will be open for women to start out.

“They deserve to be not in the streets or not having to sleep outside and being in danger of criminal activity themselves,” Kizzy Downie, Model Cities of St. Paul CEO, said.

Four months ago, the plan to move the adults-only shelter to a different St. Paul neighborhood came with pushback.

Neighbors voiced concerns about the shelter possibly bringing crime to the area.

“We’re definitely making sure that we have those kinds of [safety] protocols in place,” Downie said. “We certainly know that folks who are unsheltered have challenges when it comes to sometimes barriers around mental health and even chemical dependency, but those are also people who are seeking refuge from some of the things.”

The nonprofit said security will be on the ground when the shelter opens and closes to keep everyone safe.

Final services at the prior shelter location, Government East, will wrap up on Nov. 3 and will move to the church on Nov. 4.

The goal is to expand the church to over 60 beds for all genders to maintain the same capacity at the former location.

Model Cities explained they don’t have the funding to operate both shelters.