If you’re a single woman looking for emergency housing in the Bronx, you have limited options for getting off the street. There are only three intake shelters for single women in the city, and only one of those, the Franklin Armory, is in the Bronx. If all three are full, your next best option is a drop-in center, where there are no beds, so people sleep in chairs – often for up to two weeks at a time.

Soon, 180 women will have access to housing, job training and counseling at Susan’s Place, a new transitional residence scheduled to open in July, on 177th Street and Jerome Avenue. Women will be referred to Susan’s Place from all five boroughs.

The 40,000-square-foot building will also include a 24-hour drop-in center for women looking for a safe place to wash their clothes, get a meal or a shower, or start the intake process to be placed in a longer-term shelter.

Currently, the only drop-in center available in the Bronx is the Living Room in Hunts Point, operated by Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB). The Living Room is coed, and men far outnumber women, which can intimidate single women and discourage them from staying overnight, said Noel Concepcion, director of CAB’s street outreach team.

Susan’s Place will be run by the non-profit organization Care for the Homeless, which operated the Kingsbridge Armory women’s shelter until it closed in 2000. The residence is named for Susan L. Neibacher, the founding executive director of Care for the Homeless who passed away in 2004.

Although the organization notes that families with children make up the bulk of New York’s homeless population, representatives of Care for the Homeless say the number of single homeless women is rapidly expanding. Of the over 2,000 single homeless women in the city, many suffer from drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness and physical health problems, and they are often victims of domestic violence, according to a report published by Care for the Homeless.

Not everyone in the community embraced the plans for Susan’s Place. Community Board 5 opposed the proposal, arguing that the neighborhood is already host to numerous drug clinics and homeless facilities.

“You open up your arms in the beginning, but it’s not a good way to stabilize your community after a while,” said Community Board 5 District Manager Xavier Rodriguez.

However, now that the plan is going through, community board members are trying to build a relationship with the people running the facility and make sure community concerns are addressed.

“The board believes they’re going to operate a decent program, but there are certain things that are going to be beyond their control,” Rodriguez said.

Bernice Williams, chair of the Human Services Committee of Community Board 5, reached out to the directors of Susan’s Place to participate in a community advisory council, which held its first meeting on March 27. At that meeting, Care for the Homeless Executive Director Bobby Watts and two colleagues fielded questions about loitering, security, and job opportunities for the community.

Watts gave an overview of the amenities and services at the building, which include a full-time doctor or nurse-practitioner, a part-time dentist, a library, computer room, TV room, social services, and educational services.

The unique design of the semi-private dormitories, the services offered and the size of the facility make it unlike any other homeless housing that exists in the Bronx.

The facility will provide 88 full-time staff positions, some of which can be divided into part-time jobs, said Watts. At least 30 to 35 will be entry-level positions for program aides, kitchen workers and security staff, according to Care for the Homeless. Watts said he plans to have at least four security staff on site at all times, and those staff will be trained in conflict resolution.

Williams came out of the meeting feeling encouraged about the plans.

“We’re going to stay on top of it, and between us and Susan’s Place, I think it’s going to be a good thing for these women,” she said. “Plus, I love that they’re going to have sensitivity training for the staff – these people need respect in order to lead a productive life,” she added.

As for the community board’s worries about drug use in the area around the building, Watts emphasized that there will be a zero tolerance policy. The women will be screened with breathalyzer and urine tests and could lose their spot if they don’t stay clean. He also said there would be numerous programs inside the building to keep residents engaged and help them to successfully find permanent housing when they leave Susan’s Place.

Rodriguez urged Watts to meet with local business owners to head off potential problems with loitering and get their support for the project.

Care for the Homeless say they’re planning to stay in contact with the community and will invite everyone to visit Susan’s Place at an open house on June 28. If all of the work and certifications are completed on time, the site should be taking in women by July 1.