MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A deal has been reached to operate an emergency warming shelter in the former space of the Hope Hill Sobering Center at Hazel’s House of Hope this year. The 5,100-square-foot space will be leased by the Hope Hill Sobering Center, but the facility will be operated by the Bartlett House.
The decision moves the facility away from the Jerome Park neighborhood and the Sabra United Methodist Church, where many residents raised concerns about how the proposal could change their community. On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Morgantown Assistant City Manager and ex-oficio member of the Hope Hill Sobering Center Board of Directors Emily Muzzarelli said that as the plan for the Sabra United Methodist Church was being put together, questions about the operation outnumbered solutions and resources.
“We started looking into questions we had, like how much space is there and has it been inspected, how are people going to get to and from there, looking at the bus routes, showering and feeding—just everything that goes into a shelter,” Muzzarelli said.
Right now, Muzzarelli said Bartlett Housing Solutions already operates a shelter at the facility, and staff is developing the operational plan and budget for the emergency operation. The city of Morgantown has set aside $30,000, and Monongalia County has earmarked $10,000 for the operation.
“The Bartlett House is going to be providing a more formal proposal, thinking through the exact number for staffing, hours, and temperature,” Muzzarelli said. “Any kind of proposal, including what funds may be needed.”
The shelter will be an emergency operation, meaning it will only be open when weather conditions and circumstances dictate. Those guidelines are being developed for project stakeholders.
“We’re still working those details out and trying to make sure everyone is in a consensus on what those details are,” Muzzarelli said.
Moving the shelter from Jerome Park to Hazel’s House of Hope, where the facility was operated last year, gives the users more than protection from the elements; it provides access to the many agencies operated from the Scott Avenue facility.
“Whether it is shower or laundry facilities, feeding programs, or ultimately housing solutions or recovery programs, those are meant to be for the entire community,” Muzzarelli said.
The facility on Scott Avenue already serves the community with assistance with food insecurity, homelessness, and substance abuse disorder treatment. Eight non-profit organizations offering services have been operating at the facility since March 2021.
“This also provides all of the resources to hopefully get people to the point that maybe in the future they don’t need a warming shelter; they’ll be in a home,” Muzzarelli said.