Champaign Township and City of Champaign leaders faced several hours of public comment July 8 after city staff temporarily closed the Main Street viaduct and presented a monthly expenses report for Strides (referred to in the meeting as the bridal/shelter). Township members voted to place the May 2025 summary of expenditures on file and staff pledged to provide more detailed financial and operational information to the board.

The public pushed elected officials for more transparency and more services. Residents and volunteers who run street outreach described continued need for daytime services, refrigeration for medications and clearer accounting of how shelter funds are spent. "Being unhoused and on insulin is very difficult. Insulin needs to be kept refrigerated, otherwise the insulin can become ineffective. This can lead to hospitalization, coma, and death," said Jessica Yacine, recounting a medical provider's explanation as part of her public comment.

Why it matters: The debate ties budget transparency to public safety and service gaps. Speakers said incomplete financial reports make it difficult to judge what Strides provides beyond overnight sheltering and whether dollars could be redirected to day‑time programs, mental‑health and substance‑use services or longer‑term housing supports. Business owners downtown and neighborhood residents told council that certain behaviors near the viaduct posed safety and public‑health risks and that the city had to act to protect both visitors and people living under the viaduct.

What officials said and did
- The township motion to "put the summary of expenditure for May 2025 on file" was moved by Chairperson Feynan and seconded; the motion carried by voice vote. The motion was procedural and does not constitute acceptance of the report as complete.
- City staff described an expedited engagement and removal process tied to safety concerns. The deputy city manager reported that outreach teams "spoke with 23 individuals; 5 people received mental health and recovery services; 2 returned home; and 10 went on waiting lists to local shelters or housing lists." That tally was given by staff as the immediate outcome of the viaduct closure operation.

Public testimony and community proposals
Several community members who regularly perform outreach urged the township and city to fund and coordinate daytime services and to reexamine the shelter's operating model:
- Martell Miller, a Champaign resident and regular outreach volunteer, said: "Shelter is very well needed. I hope the city never decides to close." He told the board he distributes water and supplies and warned that shutdowns push people into other neighborhoods.
- China Figueroa Dixon said closure of the viaduct left people with nowhere to shelter and asked why furniture was removed there instead of providing basic sanitation resources such as portable toilets.
- Daniel Thompson, co‑owner of Madgo Coffee, described repeated on‑site medical crises and said: "We were doing upwards of 5 emergency services calls a day. We haven't placed a single emergency services call since the viaduct has been closed." Thompson framed the business community as urging more humane and effective services rather than punitive measures.

Council and township response
Township and city board members repeatedly said they support sheltering but want better information to make long‑term decisions. Multiple council members asked for an itemized check register or memo lines for each expenditure and for an operational breakdown: how many staff per shift, number of people served per day, and per‑person cost estimates. One public official asked staff to return with data before the next meeting; the township supervisor said staff would try to provide additional detail sooner when feasible.

Next steps and outstanding questions
- Staff pledged to refine the monthly expense report format to include memo text for transactions, and the township supervisor said she would try to distribute improved information before the next meeting. The exact timing and the scope (which line items will be annotated, and whether program‑level daily cost estimates will be provided) were not specified.
- Community volunteers asked the city and county to pursue a public‑private plan (often referenced in testimony as "Hope Village") for medically fragile homeless people and to examine a day‑center or extended‑hour model. Officials emphasized that any expansion requires funding and cross‑jurisdictional cooperation.

The meeting closed with repeated requests from the public for clearer budgets, more daytime resources, and a defined plan for how care and housing will be provided after emergency sheltering. The township placed the May expenditures report on file while staff work to provide the additional detail requested by board members and residents.