United Community Ministries - Community Shelter

Provides the only emergency and transitional shelter for the general homeless population in the Rocky Mount area.

United Community Ministries' mission is to provide a nurturing and supportive environment for homeless and nearly homeless families and individuals as they move toward wholeness.


Permanent Housing
The Permanent Housing Program (PHP) is a one year commitment to living in an apartment with a roommate and working ones way to self-sufficiency. Adults have to be chronically homeless or disabled to qualify. A person is considered chronically homeless when he/she has experienced at least two episodes of homelessness in the past year of at least 30 days duration each. A person is considered permanently disabled if he/she is receiving benefits from the Social Security Administration. Since program inception, nearly 100 Community Shelter residents have transitioned into UCMs Permanent Housing Program, of which 85% remain permanently housed today.

Rapid Re-housing
UCMs Rapid Re-Housing is a successful community strategy for ending homelessness. The intent is to minimize the length of time an individual or family remains in the limbo of homelessness and to help the household quickly re-establish stability. In the safety and predictability of permanent housing, they are encouraged to choose how, when and where they will address other life problems or goals using mainstream resources. Rapid Re-Housing resolves the crisis of homelessness; the rest is up to the individual or familyand their community support systems. Rapid Re-Housing can provide financial assistance in the form of security/utility deposits, rent/utility payments, rent/utility arrears, and application fees. All assistance is based on individual assessment and case plan. Rapid Re-Housing also provides housing stabalization case management to resolve issues that are barriers to achieving housing stability. in 2013-2014 Rapid Re-Housing provided nearly $40,000 in financial assistance to qualifying adults, children and families.