The new Safe Haven Hope Center building on S Jefferson Street in Green Bay, Apr. 5, 2026. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay Common Council approved Tuesday night a conditional use permit for a homeless shelter on the city’s east side.
Only two alders voted against the permit for Safe Haven Hope Center, located at 315 South Jefferson Street. It’s the same site where Newcap used to operate a shelter.
The permit is subject to six conditions:
- Maximum of 19 residents, 26 people total
- Only residents, staff or volunteers onsite between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m.
- Safe Haven must reapply for a CUP if use is terminated; the permit ends if the shelter is discontinued or Safe Haven stops operating the facility
- Review may be required due to qualified police calls, documented safety concerns, inadequate facilities or exceeding occupancy limits
- Must comply with submitted operating plan
- Must comply with all other regulations of Green Bay’s municipal code
Two amendments were also added: the shelter operator must return before the council in six months to do a review of how things are going and to work with the Green Bay Police Department to come up with a safe drug disposal plan.
Safe Haven Hope Center has been operating under a temporary use permit, which was set to expire June 30. It says it is a “low-barrier, trauma-informed transitional living shelter” that will serve “individuals facing significant barriers to traditional shelter systems by prioritizing safety, dignity, autonomy and relationship-centered care.”
The homeless shelter was born after the city of Green Bay cited Safe Haven Pet Sanctuary for housing homeless people in its Broadway building without the required authorization during a dangerous Arctic cold snap earlier this year.
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