Committee forwards ordinance to fund Caritas surge beds and casework with $309,000 transfer

The Education and Human Services Standing Committee on Thursday voted to forward ordinance 2025-163 to full council with a recommendation to approve, creating a new Caritas line item and appropriating $309,000 to support surge overflow shelter operations during inclement winter weather.

Committee members and city staff described the funding as one piece of a broader proposal from Caritas that would expand emergency bed capacity and add three full‑time staff to support year‑round case management and housing navigation.

DCAO Amy Popovich, who led the presentation to Chairwoman Lynch and Councilman Breton, said the committee’s first goal was “to have a plan, a budget, and location for additional bed capacity, for singles and families.” Popovich described two separate pieces: surge beds for extreme weather and…