RISE shelter warns of June closure as council and county weigh long-term funding

RISE Housing and Support Services, which operates a year-round low-barrier shelter at 4 Adelphi Street in Saratoga Springs, told the City Council during public comment that it will cease operations on June 3 unless the city and county secure funding and a collaborative long-term plan.

Sybil Newell, executive director of RISE, asked the council to pass a resolution funding shelter operations through Dec. 31, 2026, and to commit to an actionable collaborative plan. “If these commitments are not secured, RISE will be forced to cease operations at the Adelphi Street shelter with an anticipated closure date of 06/03/2025,” Newell said. RISE staff consistently described the program as a low-barrier shelter serving roughly 30 people nightly and emphasized that the model reduces visible street homelessness and supports court diversion efforts.

RISE officials and supportive speakers gave financial and program details at the meeting. Lindsay Connors, associate executive director, said the city has shouldered a disproportionate share of operations funding and thanked Supervisor Matt Beach for a one-time $20,000 county donation and the Saratoga County Capital Resource Corporation for a $23,000 grant. Jenna Espie, RISE’s director of affordable housing, said the city is funding 80% of operations at Adelphi Street through Dec. 31, 2025, and that RISE provided $145,000 of its own resources in 2024.

Board members and staff gave cost figures: Dr. Kelly Tobin, a RISE board member, said the shelter costs $42,000 per month — about $45 per person per day for approximately 30 guests. RISE staff urged county participation, saying Code Blue seasonal emergency sheltering (a state-mandated cold-weather program) is not a substitute for a year-round low-barrier shelter.

City officials responded at the meeting. A finance official said the city has funded RISE through Dec. 31, 2025, and listed historic contributions: $239,385 in 2023; about $300,000 in 2024; and $387,160 in 2025, plus up to $500,000 from opioid-settlement funds that may be available. Finance also noted an $80,000 annual allocation for the outreach court, which partners with the shelter. The mayor’s office and other council members said they had met with county leaders and welcome further county involvement but stressed that long-term financial commitments ordinarily flow through the annual budget process; the city’s comprehensive 2026 budget will not be finalized until October.

Several current and former shelter guests and program staff described personal outcomes tied to RISE. “I have been clean for over a year now. I have a good job. I never would have done it without RISE,” said Paul (last name not specified), a shelter client who testified briefly. RISE leadership said the shelter prioritizes city residents and will continue to work with other agencies if county cost-sharing is not reached.

County supervisors at the meeting acknowledged the regional nature of homelessness and said more education and formal engagement with county committees — health and human services, economic development, and law and finance — would be useful. Supervisor Michelle Madigan said she supports continued shelter operations and asked that RISE meet with county committee chairs. Supervisor Matt Beach reported three consecutive months of negative countywide sales-tax receipts year over year and said county budget pressures could complicate county cost sharing.

RISE representatives said they are willing to transition operations to another qualified agency if local governments identify a preferred operator, but they asked for clear commitments to avoid a June closure. City officials said they are committed to funding through the end of the calendar year and that further decisions about 2026 funding would be addressed in upcoming budget proposals and county negotiations.