MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Organizers continue to make their case for a low barrier shelter in the Morgantown area over the winter. Advocates Jennifer Powell and Dani Ludwig repeated the presentation given to Morgantown City Council to the Monongalia County Commission Wednesday.
The current plan comes with an estimated cost of $70,000 and would operate the facility at the Sabra United Methodist Church from Dec. 1, 2023 through March 15, 2024. The facility would operate during the evening hours and provide space for 40 adults. Adults with children and families would be assisted through the hotel program operated by Morgantown RAMP.
Milan Puskar Health Right would provide background checks for employees, payroll processing and management expertise.
Commissioners did not vote on funding the proposal, but Commission President Tom Bloom said funds from county could only be used for an emergency shelter. According to Bloom, for the last ten years the county has in some way assisted with an emergency shelter that was very helpful to the community.
“I personally believe we should be doing an emergency shelter,” Bloom said. “I do not agree with a 106-day warming shelter.”
Last year, the concept evolved into a regular warming shelter operated from Hazel’s House of Hope on Scott Ave. Organizers said the facility was under staffed and had more people than the group could safely manage.
“I think we have a lower number of people on the street right now, so it’s reasonable that Bartlett House and a warming shelter should be able to manage just about everybody,” Milan Puskar Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones said.
Bloom said the shelter should have temperature limits for operations and offer services to encourage people to get off the street while providing a warm safe environment. A concern is people will use the warming shelter to just wait out winter weather conditions and return to addictive behavior when the shelter ceases operations.
“If we have an emergency shelter and those people can get help in the interim, that’s what I want- I want to be able to provide that help,” Bloom said. “I don’t know if we’re helping them or if we’re enabling them if we offer them every straight day.”
Jones said this year things like opening during the day will not be an option. Having a lower population with a staff that can rotate will reduce some of the operational problems encountered last year.
“You take what you learn, you learn from experience and you move forward,” Jones said. ” So, we’re going to try it a little bit differently this year and see how it goes.”
Powell made the presentation to commissioners Tuesday following the Monday appearance at the Sabra United Methodist Church. The Monday presentation was littered with interruptions and concerns about neighborhood safety that Powell and co-organizer Dani Ludwig attempted to work through.
Morgantown City Manager Kim Haws said the city is actively seeking an alternate location for the program and Powell and Ludwig are determined to find a location to operate the shelter this year.
“We don’t mean to disrespect their community we really don’t, it’s more about what our options are,” Powell said. “We’re definitely very receptive to anyone that has a space.”