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Council approves winter-contingency shelters, allocates $1.6 million; Aspire to operate family and warming sites
Summary
The City-County Council’s Public Safety Committee approved Proposal 3-46-2025 to fund winter-contingency shelters and warming centers, including a Dec. 1–March 31 family shelter at North Tibbs and a weather-activated warming center at West Morris; OPHS requested $1.6 million and cited a roughly $2.4 million operating contract with Aspire Indiana Health.
The Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee voted Nov. 19 to fund the city’s winter-contingency plan, approving an appropriation request to support two 24/7 shelters for this winter and a weather-activated warming center.
Andrew Merkley, director of the Office of Public Health and Safety, told the committee the city will open a family shelter at 2406 N. Tibbs Ave. and operate an overnight warming center at West Morris Free Methodist Church. “Starting Dec. 1 through March 31, it will be 24/7,” Merkley said, adding the family site can provide up to 160 beds for 40 families and 10 beds for single women. He said the Assessment & Intervention Center (AIC) will again provide 30 beds for single men.
Why it matters: the plan expands last year’s pilot by adding a family-specific site with private pod units and by lowering activation thresholds for the…
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