A local health care center was awarded a $90,000 grant from Cook County to create a new facility that will provide multiple services to homeless individuals, the organization announced Thursday.

The Community Development Block Grant, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will allow the Turning Point Behavioral Health Care Center in Skokie to create a new drop-in center to support homeless, veteran and ex-offender residents and is scheduled to open by fall 2015. To complete the project, Turning Point is partnering with Connections for the Homeless and the New Foundation Center, two Evanston nonprofits.

Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin said the new facility will serve to improve the lives of homeless populations.

“Turning Point and its partners are well-respected leaders whose program design will improve the quality of life for many in our communities,” Suffredin said in a news release.

The new facility will be located at Turning Point’s current location, 8324 Skokie Blvd. The grant money will be used to renovate an existing portion of the building, including offices where staff can hold one-on-one meetings with clients. The location will be equipped with a lounge area, a laundry room, showers and computers with Internet access.

It will be staffed by members from the two Evanston nonprofit organizations in addition to mental health professionals from Turning Point, who will be available for emergency counseling.

Construction for the center is scheduled to begin in January 2015.

Turning Point CEO Ann Fisher Raney said the center will have a large impact on the lives of those in need.

“Many members of the homeless population have multiple challenges facing them, from mental illness to lack of training and education and physical health ailments,” Raney said in the news release. “We hope this facility will make it easier for people to get connected with the services they need to gain a better footing.”

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