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City expands winter shelter nights, community leaders press for HOPWA capacity funding
Summary
City staff described changes expanding OpenTable’s contract to provide 20 beds nightly through mid‑March and said a new family shelter will add up to 50 spaces; community health advocates urged the city to use HOPWA funds to build community providers’ capacity rather than funneling all funds through DSS.
City staff described amendments and operational changes designed to increase shelter capacity during the cold months and acknowledged community calls for capacity building around HOPWA funds. Ryan Smith, director of community safety, and Colin Davis, contract manager, told council members that a prior amendment moved about $79,000 from shelter expenses to administrative costs so OpenTable Ministries could inspect and ready a relocated shelter site; that site opened this past weekend and provided additional beds.
Davis explained that OpenTable’s contract this season is structured so the organization will provide an extra 20 beds each night for roughly mid‑November through mid‑March rather than only on federally framed "white flag" nights. "Historically, they have provided 20 beds on white flag nights," staff said; for this contract "it is 20 extra beds every night, for three or four consecutive months," which staff said makes staffing and utilization easier.
Staff described multiple coordination improvements: weekly provider coordination meetings, expanded hours for coordinated entry, an on‑call team to match first responders and providers with available beds, and efforts to increase family shelter spaces. The presenter said a new family shelter will be available in December and could add up to 50 family spaces on the coldest nights.
Dr. Haley Cunningham, co‑chair of the Coalition to End the HIV Epidemic in Durham, urged the city to use HOPWA funds to build community partner capacity rather than centralizing administration through DSS. She said a staff response previously stated that "Healing with Care and Partners in Caring lacked capacity to administer the funding" and asked that the city meet with coalition members to plan capacity building. Manager Ferguson acknowledged the concern, said staff agreed there is room for capacity building, and confirmed meetings with community partners had been scheduled.
On the technical question of temperature thresholds for white flag activation, Colin Davis said: "Historically, we've used 32 because that's the freezing temperature. It's not a federal mandate... we could choose any number." Council members asked staff to review whether the threshold should be adjusted to better protect families and medically vulnerable people.
No formal policy vote was taken; staff described operational changes already implemented and committed to continuing dialogue with community partners about HOPWA administration and capacity building.
