The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to sign a lease for a building at 39 Forest Ave., where it will consolidate its public health and social services programs starting this summer.

The city will enter a 20-year-lease on June 1 and move the two divisions into the 37,000-square-foot, two-story downtown building.

The move will allow the city to move programs out of City Hall and cramped leased spaces at 103 India St. and 196 Lancaster St. The India Street Public Health Center and the General Assistance office would be among the programs relocated to the building between Congress Street and Cumberland Avenue.

The city said leasing space at 39 Forest Ave. will provide staff and clients an accessible, centralized site on the Portland peninsula that should improve staff collaboration, reduce barriers to obtaining vital services, increase organizational efficiency and allow programs to expand.

“This is a location where we can serve our clients far better than what we do now,” Councilor Tae Chong said.

Councilor Belinda Ray, who toured the Forest Avenue building, called it a “beautiful” space well-suited to serve clients, with lots of natural light and open space.

“For some people, it can be a one-stop shop,” Ray said. “It’s perfect and ready to go.”

The new space also would house public health programming, including the needle exchange, STD/HIV testing and the Portland Community Free Clinic, which provides health care to low-income people. It would not include an emergency shelter, though it would provide initial intake services for people seeking shelter.

The building will also have a larger waiting area so people don’t have to wait outside. Part of the new space will house a homeless shelter diversion program, similar to one at the Pine Street Inn in Boston. New arrivals to the shelter will register at the Forest Avenue location. Staff will attempt to resolve disputes between clients and landlords, enroll clients in prevention case management or attempt to reunite individuals with family members, rather than sending them to the city’s emergency shelter.

Five Portland residents spoke during the public hearing, and there was no strong opposition.

Monday’s vote comes after the city delayed the relocation because of criticism from neighbors. The city’s announcement in April sparked some safety concerns. The Maine College of Art said it has been planning to create a 180-bed dormitory next door at 45 Forest Ave. and was caught off-guard by the city’s plan.

Portland Stage Company Executive and Artistic Director Anita Stewart said she is also concerned about safety, especially for children who participate in youth programming and older people who attend nighttime performances. Stewart said the theater is only about 20 feet away from the new services building and she worries about safety issues that might arise when the city offices are closed and with the needle exchange, which is currently located on India Street.

“Leasing space at 39 Forest will provide a centralized, on-peninsula location,” Economic Development Director Greg Mitchell said in an April 29 memo to councilors. “The benefits of co­-location include improved staff collaboration, reduced barriers to those who require vital services, enhanced organization efficiency and the ability to expand programs as needed.”

The city will enter a 20-year lease with property owner 39 LLC beginning June 1. Renovations will begin June 1 and staff will move into the building in July, August and September.

The city will be charged $277,500 a year, or $23,125 rent per month, for the space.

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