Finalized plans for a new youth homeless shelter have been greenlit to proceed this week, thanks to actions taken by the DeKalb City Council.

The petitioner, Family Service Agency of DeKalb County, sought city support in its efforts to provide 24/7 emergency shelter to at-risk youth.

The facility, 220 College Ave. in DeKalb, will serve area youth ages 14 to 18 and be the first of its kind in DeKalb County.

The shelter, once it’s up and running, will feature up to 16 beds and common spaces for meals, recreation, learning and counseling.

Family Service Agency of DeKalb County Executive Director Tynisha Clegg said the agency believes that location is key for a youth homeless shelter.

“The reason we’ve chosen the city of DeKalb, first and foremost, to house this shelter was because that is a centralized location of those we’re serving,” Clegg said.

The property was previously authorized as a rooming house for the Ben Gordon Center in 1998, city documents show. At that time, the facility allowed up to 13 people.

The property was later sold to Northwestern Medicine’s DeKalb Behavioral Health Foundation in 2015, city documents show. That facility closed in March 2025, only to be purchased in May 2025 by its current owner, Collin Ayres.

The home is currently vacant, city documents show. Family Service Agency intends to secure a three-year lease agreement with the property’s owner.

Clegg said she sees the youth homeless shelter as a valuable resource for DeKalb and the surrounding communities.

“The majority of clients that we serve that would be utilizing the shelter are city of DeKalb residents,” Clegg said.

Clegg emphasized her agency’s experience with intervention and problem-solving.

“These youth will not only be monitored 24/7, but they’ll also be receiving services,” Clegg said. “It’s not just that staff is going to be sitting there awake with them. If they’re youth that are coming in the middle of the night or youth that are awake and trying to do things that they shouldn’t be doing, our staff is trained and equipped to work with them to resolve or address whatever may be happening in the community, in that house.”

Previously, the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission provided unanimous support for the agency’s plans.

Council approval was subject to a set of conditions. They include, among other things, that the shelter be staffed 24/7 by three staffers and the parking lot require three spaces. The Family Service Agency is the only entity allowed to use the property.

The shelter also is required to follow the city’s municipal code and state licensing requirements.