(PUEBLO, Colo.) — Pueblo City Council voted to fund a wellness center in the Bessemer neighborhood, which also approves a controversial needle exchange program.

The nearly one-million-dollar grant was awarded to the Southern Colorado Harm Reduction Association (SCHRA) after a 5-2 vote following the City Council meeting on Monday, July 10.

Home and business owners in the area are left divided with those who believe the needle exchange program offered with the new facility would do more harm than good.

“If you could just strike from the contract, no needle exchange program, you wouldn’t see me sitting in front of you, because I don’t believe needle exchange programs do the addict any good,” stated Michelle Gray in her testimony. “It would have been a misuse of tax dollars to facilitate the use of illicit drugs and extend the nightmare to those struggling with drug addiction.”

Many who agreed with community members like Gray also said littering their neighborhood with more needles would only create a bigger public health issue.

“Instead of having ten dirty needles on the floor, we now have an endless amount of dirty needles…,” said Samuel Hernandez Jr. “I go to Drew Dix Park, I go to Sticker Park [and] there’s needles everywhere…”

Hernandez Jr. also mentioned the potential risk to children.

“Who’s fighting for the safety of our youth?” asked Hernandez Jr. to City Council. “$975,000 is a lot of money. We could be spending that for the youth to keep them off drugs in the first place.”

However, those favoring the new wellness center stated the facility would be more than just about exchanging needles.

“There is such a bigger piece of the puzzle… everybody was so focused on the syringe exchange,” said Erica, a peer support specialist at SCHRA.

Plans for the wellness center include rehabilitative services like peer support and case management to reduce overdoses while also giving access to showers, clean clothes, food, mental health care and more.

“Illicit drug use is part of our world. SCHRA works to minimize its harmful effects rather than simply to ignore or condemn them. We do this by providing sterile supplies to prevent HIV and Hepatitis C infection,” said Adriana Venegas.

SCHRA said it hopes to have the wellness center up and running by the end of 2023.