DeKalb| The DeKalb City Council met again Monday night to discuss the expansion of Hope Haven and voted in favor of expansion.

Hope Haven supporters packed the chambers, displaying their red Hope Haven pins. Hope Haven wants to expand its current emergency shelter facility, 1145 Rushmore Drive, to accommodate more residents.

The facility has not been expanded in 20 years.

In addition to housing some of the community’s homeless population, the facility also currently works with the DeKalb Police Department by taking in people who are victims of domestic violence.

“There’s hundreds of volunteers that give their time and their resources every year to make Hope Haven work, and I think Hope Haven has come to really symbolize the DeKalb community as a place of compassion and caring and I hope that will continue,” said Mark Cordes, Love Inc Chairman and NIU professor.

Cordes, along with others, emphasized that there is a real need in the community for the expansion and that the financing of the expansion would not come out of city funds. “The city made legitimate points, points that need to be considered every time we decide to allow a new thing to be built,” said 1st Ward Alderman Bertrand Simpson. “However, despite the fact that the city’s points were legitimate, I believe Hope Haven’s points were compelling.”

The Council voted 4-3 in favor of the expansion. Fourth Ward Alderman Brendon Gallagher, 6th Ward Alderman David Baker and 7th Ward Alderwoman Lisa Kammes voted against the expansion.

Fifth Ward Alderman Ron Naylor excused himself from voting due to a conflict of interest. In his place, DeKalb Mayor Kris Povlsen voted yes to the expansion of Hope Haven.

Baker felt the expansion of Hope Haven had reached its full potential at its current location, and that it should expand to help elsewhere.

“It’s always going to expand…at what point do we say we have enough at this location,” he said. “We need to go to another part of the county to service.”