Pittsfield police hope a new substation will help quell escalating violence in the city. Another person was shot Friday, while police are also investigating a homicide from last weekend.

Last month, a stabbing left William Catalano dead. Saturday’s fatal shooting of David Green is being investigated as a homicide. On Friday, gunfire left one victim with several gunshot wounds along the 300 block of Columbus Avenue.

"People are asking all the time, 'how do you stop the shootings and the stabbings?' I think you need to solve the underlining problems of why they're existing," said Pittsfield City Council President Peter Marchetti.

On that same block of Columbus Ave., the city hopes a Habitat for Humanity office can be a catalyst for change amongst the violence. 

"We are part of a larger coalition that’s working on quality of life issues for the community," said Executive Director Carolyn Valli.

Valli is lending a hand and her space to help police combat crime on Pittsfield's west side.

The request for a police substation was made during a community meeting in October. That's when Habitat stepped up to dedicate an entire floor as place where residents and police can engage.

"They can say 'hey, the neighborhood is together with the police and there’s a lot of eyes on you now, so you might think about changing,' " Valli said.

In addition to the substation being manned by police, they’re also looking for volunteers. They say the station will be open within a few weeks.