The Arlington Life Shelter has purchased a 7,000-square-foot facility adjoining the nonprofit agency’s current property, located at 301 W. Division St. in Arlington.
The new building will be used to expand shelter services for the homeless from Arlington and surrounding communities. The agency provides short-term shelter and employment services for more than 1,000 homeless individuals in North Texas each year.
The purchase is the result of a $500,000 donation by John David Moritz, president of Moritz Management LLC, making Moritz the largest individual donor in the shelter’s 28-year history. Long-time donor Victor Munson and the Heavenly Father Founda¬tion provided the 10 percent match needed to purchase the facility outright.
“The new building comes at a critical time for the shelter, as homelessness in Arlington increased nearly 30 percent in 2015, greatly stretching the agency’s resources,” said Arlington life Shelter Executive Director Becky Orander. “Over the last year, we have had a tremendous increase in the number of families with preschool age children and homeless persons challenged by men¬tal illness, requiring the shelter to operate beyond capacity most nights.”
Specific use of the new facility will be determined by the agency’s 2020 strategic plan, now being completed by the board of directors.
The former owner of the property will remain in the facility until February 2017.