Urbana township opens temporary winter shelter at Armory, board approves leases and MOU

The Cunningham Township board on Monday approved a package of agreements to open a temporary, nighttime winter shelter at the Armory, 109 E. Park St., and detailed intake procedures, partner roles and funding.

Supervisor Chenoweth said the township will run the Armory shelter in partnership with Prometheus Partners (landlord) and community provider Friend and Me, and said the state is underwriting the nighttime component. She told the board the township had requested a larger award but “we got a 115,000,” and said public health and other partners will supply bedding and supplies.

Chenoweth described the Armory as well suited for sheltering: “It has 7 showers, including 1 wheelchair accessible shower. It has 9 bathroom stalls. It has very easy space to install washer dryer. It is … public assembly,” and staff and the landlord have worked to make the building operational.

Operational rules and intake: Chenoweth said there will be no unscheduled drop-offs — police or hospitals will not leave people at the site without a written agreement — and that intake will be coordinated at Strides, the existing low-barrier shelter. During a soft launch, guests will check in at Strides for screening and be bused to the Armory. She said security cameras, external security checks and no loitering policies will be enforced around the property.

The initial shelter is planned as a nighttime-only site for adult men and male-identified residents; Chenoweth said the township is negotiating other arrangements to serve women and to accommodate registered sex-offenders (RSOs) at other locations. The supervisor also said staff are tracking county shelter capacity and unsheltered counts: “As of November 4, 82 residents [were] unsheltered,” she said, calling it the largest pre-winter count the township has seen.

Staffing and contracting: The board approved an MOU to contract Friend and Me to provide staffing and day-to-day operations for the Armory shelter. Chenoweth described Friend and Me’s approach as trauma-informed and community-based and listed names of experienced leaders who will supervise operations.

Community contributions and supports: Chenoweth thanked UC Friends Meeting for a $10,000 grant and said that meeting will match another $10,000 for shelter fundraising. She also listed other partners providing services or in-kind support, such as the city of Urbana, public health, the Champaign fire department and United Way.

Next steps: Board members pressed staff on intake logistics, gender coverage and how referrals will be handled after township office hours; Chenoweth said Strides will remain the primary 24/7 intake point and that the township is taking Strides’ wait list (excluding RSOs) for overflow. The board approved the Prometheus lease and the Friend and Me MOU by roll call votes. Chenoweth said leases and further legal documents will be returned to the board for finalization as needed.

The board also approved a separate short-term office lease at Lincoln Square to relocate staff from a radon-impacted office while longer-term consolidation is planned. The board voted to adopt that lease after hearing it reduces rent by roughly $2,000 per month and offers the same square footage, the supervisor said.

What’s next: The shelter will open as a soft launch sometime after the lease and operational details are finalized; the township described the initial operating budget as funded in part by the state award and local angel-donor fundraising. Chenoweth urged residents to refer unsheltered people to the township intake (205 West Green Street, or via phone/email) and to donate toiletries, bedding and winter gear.