ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) — Preparation is in the early stages for a permanent homeless shelter in Tompkins County.

Officials are unsure where the building will be located. Legislative Chair Dan Klein said the county is “stuck in the real estate phase.”

“We feel like we’re in the final moments of that process, the final month at least,” he said. “We’re doing soil testing on sites to figure out if the ground is sufficient to build the kind of building we want to build.”

Klein said a consultant will help manage various aspects of the process, including design and finding a construction firm.

The county is also preparing to open a temporary cold-weather shelter this winter. That will be on North Tioga Street in Ithaca.

Temporary shelter on North Tioga Street