Dickinson City Commission denies United Way multi-use transitional housing facility

DICKINSON, ND (KXNET) — The proposed United Way Supportive Care Center was denied a special use permit from the Dickinson City Commission in a 3-2 vote despite support from Governor Kelly Armstrong and a recommendation of approval from city staff.

The proposed facility is a three-story building that would include 13 rooms on the first floor, serving as a low-barrier short-term homeless shelter, a drug and alcohol treatment facility on the second floor, and 30 rooms of transitional housing on the third floor.

Commissioner Dr. Robert Baer raised particular concern over the facilities' status as low-barrier. Low-barrier facilities have minimal requirements for people seeking shelter. The proposed facility would have only turned away high-risk sex offenders and high-risk violent offenders, b