Homeless children in Montgomery County will soon have more shelter from living on the streets or in unsafe homes. Yes to Youth Montgomery County Youth Services broke ground on June 20 for its new building for short-term housing for homeless youth. Located at 4501 N. Frazier St., Conroe, the shelter currently can house approximately 15 youths. The new building will allow the organization to house up to 30. Judge Mark Keough was one of several speakers to the crowd of former and current board members, government officials and contractors. He said the new building represents servicing a great need in the county. “On behalf of all of us here at the county, we are very excited for you. We are at your service. We look forward to great things in the future and we thank you for having the deepest of love for our children, our most valuable asset,” Keough said. Yes to Youth Chief Operating Officer Penny Wilson said the project will add boys-only and girls-only sleeping areas to the shelter, as well as expanding the outdoor patio space. “We’re not just building facilities, we’re not just building shelters,” Wilson said. “We’re building a home for these kids who may have never known what that looks like.” Wilson said the current building will also be renovated with a commercial kitchen, new game room and office space, while keeping the shelter feeling welcoming for the children. Architect Robert Charles of Houston-based firm Veritas AEC was the chief designer of the building and Total Team Construction will be the general contractor for the project, according to Wilson. Board Secretary Patti Rivela said the shelter still needs to raise a small amount of money for the expansion. No completion date was given. Correction: The original article incorrectly listed Penny Wilson as "CEO" and gave the incorrect amount of youths the shelter can house. The correct title and number have been added.