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Office of Homeless Services briefs committee on storm response, funding uncertainty and pallet-shelter RFP
Summary
The Office of Homeless Services told the Public Health & Safety Committee it is coordinating storm response, monitoring federal Continuum of Care funding changes, managing a return of gap-financing funds from a development called Shelly House, and plans to release an RFP for pallet shelters this week.
Allison Gateway of the Office of Homeless Services told the Public Health & Safety Committee on Tuesday that staff are coordinating emergency responses to recent storms, closely monitoring changes to federal Continuum of Care funding, and working with partners on a range of housing and emergency shelter efforts.
Gateway said the office is working with the Office of Emergency Management and Chief Swan on weather-related outreach, including bus passes and rides to shelters or safe indoor spaces and safety checks at encampments. "We're working our emergency services manager is working really closely with Chief Swan, and OEM, to make sure that we're able to provide services to those folks so that they're safe from the storms," Gateway said.
Why it matters: the office’s work aims to prevent weather-related harm for people living outdoors and to keep services running amid uncertainty about federal funding streams.
Gateway said federal Continuum of Care (CoC) funding rules have been shifting and that the Office has been meeting regularly with CoC-funded agencies and other local partners to prepare contingency plans so services continue if allocations change. She said the office is acting as the local collaborative applicant and CoC lead and sharing information with providers.
Gateway also reported that a development called Shelly House, which previously received gap‑financing allocations, informed the office that it is discussing returning funds to the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA). The transcript lists allocations of about $2,100,000 and $712,000 "and change" for Shelly House; Gateway said MDHA is involved in discussions about restoring or reallocating those funds.
On alternative shelter models, Gateway said the city held a public information meeting about pallet shelters and that an RFP will be released this week. "The RFP is gonna be released this week," she said, noting the outreach meeting reached the Continuum of Care listserv of roughly 1,000 recipients and drew multiple Metro departments and community interest.
Discussion versus action: Gateway’s briefing was informational. The committee did not take a formal vote. Committee members asked follow-up questions about whether returned gap-financing might be reallocated to other providers and requested that the Office follow up with options and timelines.
Ending: Gateway said the office would update the committee as MDHA and other partners resolve the Shelly House funding and that the pallet-shelter RFP and its responses will be tracked and reported back to the committee.
