ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester is responding again to the city's homeless population. First, the city moved them from vacant properties. Now, a lot designated to be a homeless encampment is being made into more of a destination than it's ever been.

It's a shift Rochester City Council has made in delivering an upgrade in shelter for people who prefer life on their own over traditional assistance.

City Council voted 8-1 last week to move forward with its plan to give the city-sanctioned homeless encampment, Peace Village, an updated look. To fund the project, City Council President Miguel Melendez wants to use $750,000 from the Police Accountability Board's unspent funds.

"We're planning to install what are called pallet shelters," said Melendez. "And there's 15 units that we're going to install, each with two beds apiece as well as an office space, a community room and some restroom facilities."

The new interim director of the Police Accountability Board, Sherry Walker-Cowart, says the budget cut might not impact them now, but it may in the future.

"If funds were to continue to be cut, of course, is going to impact us," said Walker-Cowart. "We want to have a full complement of staff and resources and everything we need to do the work that we have to do."

The project is set to start this spring, summer or fall at the latest according to Melendez.