Sullivan County says warming centers to close April 15; shelter public hearing and rental-supplement use highlighted

Sullivan County officials told the Health and Human Services committee that warming centers will close for the season on April 15; officials said the county will still place people in hotels on extreme "code blue" nights if necessary.

The county also reported that a public hearing had been scheduled to discuss the proposed emergency shelter; staff stated a public hearing would occur on the "20 fourth" (language as recorded in the committee meeting), and the county said it had architectural designs and longstanding partnerships in development for a permanent shelter solution. Committee members were invited to the public hearing and staff said the issue will return for broader board discussion.

On temporary assistance, staff highlighted a county rental supplement program funded with $250,000 in the current budget. The program has been used to move people into permanent housing, and staff said that in April the supplement helped the county avoid $5,100 in hotel expenses. "That has helped us, avoid, dollars 5,100 in hotel costs that we would be paying," a county official said, adding that placing people into permanent housing reduces ongoing expense and better serves families.

The county reported emergency shelter census trends: the previously reported number of 337 had decreased to 330 as of the week of the meeting. Staff said they are prioritizing efforts to reduce family groups in shelter and have two staff members dedicated to those housing placements.

County staff emphasized that their policy objective is to move people into permanent housing rather than temporary hotel placements and said the public hearing will be a step toward a more permanent shelter and coordinated services model. No committee votes occurred on shelter matters because the committee lacked a quorum.