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Room at the Inn urges Marquette to open Baraga Gym as winter overflow; commission asks staff to study options
Summary
Room at the Inn told the Marquette City Commission it is seeing up to 46 sign-ins nightly and asked to use the Baraga Gym as temporary overflow this winter; commissioners directed city staff to draft a recommendation on facility use and logistics.
Chelsea Wilkinson, executive director of Room at the Inn, told the Marquette City Commission on Nov. 17 that demand for emergency shelter in the city has surged and urged the body to allow the nonprofit to use the Baraga Gym as a temporary overflow shelter this winter.
"I have had 46 people sign in every single night for over a year," Wilkinson said, summarizing the shelter’s caseload and recent growth. She said Room at the Inn had opened a second family shelter this week and secured state funding for a permanent supportive housing program, but still lacks immediate capacity to house all people who need a place to sleep.
The plea came during the meeting’s public-comment period, where staff and clients described the short-term need in personal terms.…
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