Little Rock, AR - There is a bit of good news. A new count released Friday found fewer homeless people living in four Central Arkansas counties.
Volunteers with the group, Central Arkansas Team Care for the Homeless," counted more than 1400 in Pulaski, Lonoke, Prairie and Saline Counties in January. That's down 400 from 2007.  Of the recent count, 452 were living on the streets, 249 in emergency shelters, and 624 in transitional housing.

This week the little rock city council will decide on a location for the homeless day shelter. The board is looking to move the facility from North Little Rock to a downtown Little Rock neighborhood. Some neighborhood residents are concerned about a center for the homeless in their backyard.  Little Rock City Council will consider the old Job Corps Building on Vance Street for the new location. Residents say they aren't opposed to a new shelter, but they do have some concerns they want addressed.

Allan Seibert, Arkansas Coalition for the Homeless "It's an excellent facility. It's got 150-200 beds. It's got multiple showers, a washer and dryer."

Right now they are serving about 100 a day here in North Little Rock at the River City Ministries and director, Amanda Hinojosa says she's bursting at the seems.

"The benefits of moving to a location that's larger or more centrally located is not only to serve more clients, but to provide more services."

She says the North Little Rock building is restricted by building codes.

Amanda Hinojosa, Director of Homeless Day Shelter River Cities
"The way River Cities built is we are confined due to fire Marshall codes those types of regulations."

In Little Rock, service just got out at the Living Ward Church where you can see the proposed building from their front lawn.

Pastor Lawrence Jackson, Living Ward Church
"It's a great idea, but what about the after effects?"

He says he has an older congregation and is worried about who will look over the place.

"Who's gonna screen, and say we aren't having sex offenders and whole nine yards. Who screens it?"

Something other neighbor leaders agree with.

Stephany Fields, Granite Mountain Neighborhood Improvement Association "Our fear is that you'll place the shelter there and you'll forget about it."

The resolution to inspect the former Job Corps Building for the homeless day shelter is this Tuesday.

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