So far, local governments and groups have raised more than $4.35 million for the shelter bringing it closer to its goal, according to a Wednesday press release from Gallatin County.

In 2021, the Gallatin County Commission granted $2.25 million from its American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money to Homeward Point, and challenged other organizations to match that contribution.

More than a dozen organizations, including local banks, bars, and the city of Bozeman, have pledged $2.1 million in matching funds.

“(Houselessness and urban camping) is an emotionally charged issue for many with no simple solutions,” County Commissioner Zach Brown said in the release. “However, this process of turning tough conversations and conflict into a tangible partnership has given me hope.”

Once open, Homeward Point would become the county’s first emergency shelter operating 24/7. It would make the work already taken on by HRDC’s Warming Center permanent.

Last year marked the first time Bozeman’s Warming Center, which typically operates from Nov. 1 to March 31, stayed open year-round and offered daytime hours through the winter.

According to the HRDC, the area’s housing crisis has created a steady increase of people seeking shelter at the Warming Center, even in warmer months.

“It just puts a lot of pressure on our building having people there 24-hours a day,” Brian Guyer, HRDC housing director, told the Chronicle last year.

“So we’ve gotten a firsthand look at some of the quite literal pressures at having 100 guests in the building all day long; stress on plumbing, water, electricity … these are the types of things that it’s good for us to learn before we move into a new facility,” Guyer added.

Once built, HRDC will transition its Warming Center operations over to Homeward Point, which plans to have 130 beds and six family suites — a bump from the Warming Center’s capacity of 120 people.

The new facility will also provide more space, privacy and one-on-one support than before, according to HRDC’s website.

Construction for Homeward Point will begin sometime this year, Emma Hamburg, HRDC’s outreach coordinator, said. It’s expected to take 12 to 18 months.

“While shelter is not the answer, it is a necessary landing spot to make space for working towards the solution, which includes housing that is affordable to the individuals and families that power this community,” HRDC President Heather Grenier said in the release.

Homeward Point is just one part of plans for an HRDC Community Commons, which will include one building for the shelter and another to house the organization’s food and nutrition programs.

All of those resources are scattered around the city in different buildings, which the Community Commons space hopes to streamline.

The Market Place section of the project is set to finish in August. That would house the Gallatin Valley Food Bank, a grocery area and the Fork and Spoon, Bozeman’s pay-what-you-can-restaurant.

HDRC will open the Market Place as soon as it’s finished, and the shelter opening will follow later, Hamburg said.