Pardubice will build a center for homeless people for 107 million

Pardubice – The new Service Center for homeless individuals in the Na Staré poště area of Pardubice will be cheaper than the city originally anticipated. The construction, costing 107.4 million crowns, will begin soon. The city has selected a construction company to build the facility, the city hall stated in a press release.

The initially estimated costs were 126 million crowns, and an additional 6.4 million crowns has been allocated by the city for the demolition of old buildings on the site. "The center will be created in the form of modular construction. The chosen solution allows for a functionally interconnected area and also provides the city with greater flexibility in the future. If necessary, the center can be relocated to another location within ten to fifteen years," said Mayor Jan Nadrchal (ANO).

The center will be built by the company Chládek a Tintěra, Pardubice. The city will also cover the project costs with European subsidies of up to 69 million crowns. "Thanks to the combination of the subsidy and the outcome of the open tender, the amount that will need to be spent from the city’s own resources for the project is reduced. The new center will newly connect services that homeless individuals need at one location, including a men's shelter, a separate night shelter for men and women, a low-threshold day center, and a medical office," said Deputy Mayor Jakub Rychtecký (Žijeme Pardubice).

Rychtecký stated that the available facilities with accommodation, basic assistance, and healthcare not only help homeless individuals but also reduce the risks associated with their presence on the streets. According to him, the goal is to offer people a chance to return to a normal life.

"The current spaces of the shelter and night shelters for men and women continue to function, and we have timely moved the low-threshold day center and the office for homeless individuals within the area to alternative spaces, where they continue to operate, and their operations are not threatened by the construction. People who need this assistance still have it available," said Rychtecký.

After the completion of the shelter, the city plans to use the current building for municipal rental apartments with affordable rent or possibly for some form of community housing, added the deputy mayor.