New Hampshire homeless center finds new location

ROCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — A homeless center has settled on a new location thanks to a donation from a New Hampshire family.

Fosters.com reports that Rita and Raymond Laurion have agreed to donate a vacant, 18-acre lot in Rochester to the Homeless Center for Strafford County along with $100,000. In exchange, the shelter will pay the Laurions the $50,000 in federal community development block grant funds that the Rochester City Council awarded it for land acquisition.

The center currently operates from October to March in a 3,500-square-foot building in Gonic. With $1 million in donations, the nonprofit wants to expand to a 5,250-square-foot facility. The nonprofit has raised $500,000 so far.

The new location's close to several companies that could offer jobs and a bus stop. The site doesn't need any special zoning exemptions.