Dutchess County approves controversial $13M Poughkeepsie homeless shelter
Facility will house up to 99 people and replace temporary emergency housing units on North Hamilton Street.
Sep 21, 2026, 11:04 AM
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A long-debated plan to build a new homeless shelter in Poughkeepsie is officially moving forward.
The Dutchess County Legislature approved an agreement with the City of Poughkeepsie for a new $13 million emergency housing facility at 26 Oakley St.
The facility, called the HOPE Center, will provide emergency housing for up to 99 people experiencing homelessness. It will replace the temporary emergency housing known as the PODS, which is currently used on North Hamilton Street.
County officials say the new facility will offer more than a place to stay. Residents will receive intensive case management and individualized housing plans, along with access to mental health and substance-use treatment, job training, education and other services aimed at helping them transition into permanent housing.
But getting the project to this point has taken years.
The City of Poughkeepsie and some residents have opposed placing another countywide homeless facility in the city’s Northside, arguing the area already bears a disproportionate share of the county’s homeless and social services.
The dispute eventually led the city and two Northside residents to sue Dutchess County in federal court. The lawsuit alleged placing the shelter there would further concentrate poverty and reinforce racial segregation.
The city and county ultimately reached an agreement following federal mediation.
Under the deal, the shelter will initially serve adult men and women before transitioning to single women and/or families after 2031.
The agreement also calls for 24-hour security, cameras, enhanced lighting and a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew. A stakeholder group will be created to address safety, security and quality-of-life concerns.
Dutchess County also agreed not to establish or fund another emergency shelter in the City of Poughkeepsie for 35 years and will work to provide alternative shelter for single men after 2031.
County officials say an intensive case-management program launched in 2024 has already helped nearly 110 people move from emergency shelter into assisted, transitional or permanent housing.
Along with approving the shelter, lawmakers approved several other measures aimed at homelessness, including expanded street outreach and case management, a new homelessness council and an independent study of the county’s shelter and housing needs.
Construction is expected to begin in late 2026, with the facility expected to open by the end of 2027.
News 12 has reached out to Dutchess County for more information and to Poughkeepsie Mayor Yvonne Flowers, who has been a vocal opponent of the project. News 12 has also reached out to several organizations that work directly with people experiencing homelessness for their perspective on the new facility.
