Birmingham Opens Community Service Hub in North Side
New service hub and online portal aim to help Birmingham residents find housing, food, health care, and other support
The City of Birmingham has launched a new effort to help residents connect with essential services through a neighborhood-based resource center and a new online platform.
The City's Innovation Team, known as the i-Team, recently opened the North Birmingham Community Service Hub at The Salvation Army, located at 2015 26th Ave. North. The pilot program is designed to provide residents with in-person assistance, referrals, and guidance as they seek housing, food assistance, health care, transportation, employment support, utility assistance, and other services.
The launch also includes the new online platform, bham.findhelp.com, which allows residents to search thousands of local programs and resources at any time.
Mayor Randall Woodfin said the initiative is intended to make it easier for residents to find help when they need it.
“Too often, people know they need help but don’t know where to begin,” Woodfin said. “This initiative removes barriers by bringing resources together in one place—both online and in the community—so residents can more easily access the support they need.”
According to the City, the service hub was developed after months of community engagement and research led by the Innovation Team. City officials worked with residents, neighborhood leaders, service providers, businesses, and community groups to better understand how people access services and where gaps exist in the current system. The Innovation Team serves as a strategy and problem-solving unit within City Hall, using community input and data-driven approaches to address local challenges.
As part of the research process, members of the Innovation Team spent 24 hours embedded at a Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service station to observe how residents seek help and how first responders often connect people with critical resources.
Tish Fletcher, Director of the City of Birmingham Innovation Team, said community input played a central role in the project's design.
“We wanted to build this with residents, not just for residents,” Fletcher said. “People’s lived experiences are valuable. By listening first and bringing stakeholders to the table, we’ve created a resource that is grounded in community needs and designed to deliver meaningful outcomes.”
The North Birmingham Community Service Hub includes service navigators who help residents identify available resources and complete referrals. The facility also features a public access kiosk connected to the online platform and serves as a point of contact for a network of community partners working to improve service delivery.
City officials said the initiative combines community feedback, data analysis, and partnerships across multiple sectors to create a more coordinated approach to helping residents access services.
The North Birmingham Community Service Hub is open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at The Salvation Army in North Birmingham. Residents from all 99 Birmingham neighborhoods are eligible to use the service.
Additional information and resources are available through the city's online portal.
