Catholic Charities Grace Shelter says fire marshal rules trimmed beds; seeks funding to expand overnight capacity

Catholic Charities’ Grace Shelter told the Monongalia County Commission on June 4 that occupancy limits set by fire marshal calculations reduced the shelter’s client beds from 28 to 19 and that the organization is seeking funding to expand an overnight, limited‑service area in the building’s sobering‑center footprint.

Jessica Thompson, director of Catholic Charities Grace Shelter, said the city fire marshal remeasured the shelter’s square footage and “said you have to decrease by 9 beds on Grace,” leaving the program with 19 beds under current code. Thompson told the commission the fire marshal “gave us permission to have 15 additional permanent beds down there if we could get the funding to do that.”

The shelter provided use and client statistics to the commission. Thompson said that as of May 1 the shelter had served 24 individuals this year, including 12 veterans; recorded 24 chronically homeless individuals (documented more than a year on the streets); and reported 8 people under age 25 identified as high‑risk youth. She said the shelter had successfully moved 35 people into some form of permanent supportive housing and estimated that “50% that are from Mon County,” with other guests coming from out of state and neighboring counties.

Thompson described how the reduced bed total arose: an earlier occupancy calculation allowed 28 beds based on total square footage, but when the city fire marshal remeasured after winter the usable living‑space calculation reduced that number. She said staff were able to bring the shelter into compliance within two weeks as residents were transferred out.

On funding and length of stay, Thompson said, “My funding is third county, third city, a third state.” She said the shelter’s current bed limit can be extended for individuals up to six months depending on participation in services and program requirements.

Commissioners and staff discussed the county’s role as a funding partner and the regional demand for services. One commissioner noted that many people served by the shelter come from outside Monongalia County, and commissioners described the tension between serving regional clients and prioritizing county residents. They acknowledged no formal county decision followed the presentation; the commission received the report and thanked Thompson.

The presentation did not include a formal vote. Commissioners asked staff and the director to continue seeking funding, and Thompson said she would pursue options to staff and fund additional overnight capacity if resources become available.

Thompson said the shelter is low‑barrier and will accept people who are intoxicated, but she added that ongoing intoxication or disorderly conduct would not be allowed to continue inside the facility and could lead to removal.

The commission’s meeting record shows no immediate appropriation was made during the June 4 session; the item was a presentation and request for further exploration of funding and capacity.