Mahoning County highlights winter outreach and warming centers as cold‑weather plan begins
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Summary
Commissioners heard updates on cold‑weather sheltering and a coordinated street outreach program starting Dec. 29; officials said hotels and a warming center will be used for women and families and partners reported early success placing individuals into services.
Mahoning County commissioners on Dec. 18 received updates on the county’s cold‑weather sheltering plan and a new street outreach effort set to begin Dec. 29.
Colleen, the county staff member who introduced the item, said the county’s cold‑weather plan runs from Dec. 1 through March 31 and includes sheltering, street outreach and service referrals. She presented a resolution appointing Phil Peryear to the Mahoning County Homeless Continuum of Care executive board and proclaimed Dec. 21, 2025 as National Homeless Persons Memorial Day.
Erin Bishop, Youngstown health commissioner, described the outreach schedule and tasks: “we do have a street outreach program that will be starting on December 29. We'll be going every evening from 07:30 to 08:30 and talking with the gentlemen that are staying there and seeing if they need any help with any other agencies,” she said, adding morning follow‑ups to link people to shelters and services.
Shelter operators reported modest early capacity and casework outcomes. Steele Weigman, who oversees the temporary shelter, said the site has housed as many as nine individuals some nights and that case managers from Compass Family Community Services meet clients at the shelter to help them obtain identification and employment. “We already had an individual last week who was able to get all of his identification, was able to achieve a job,” Weigman said.
Matt Slater, director of development for the nonprofit Access to Services, described hoteling arrangements for women and families during the cold period and committed to coordinating referrals: “we're hoteling women and families, regular hotels, making sure we're connecting them with the different groups that are doing street outreach, and connecting them to services.”
Commissioners and staff emphasized collaborative funding and partnerships. Colleen identified contributions from the City of Youngstown, the Mahoning County Mental Health and Recovery Board and other local partners that enabled the warming center’s opening and outreach. Officials noted the program is operating in tandem with other placements — including temporary hotel stays for people displaced by the Phoenix House situation — and that capacity statewide and locally remains constrained.
The board did not take separate formal votes specific to service strategy at the meeting; commissioners received the report and approved the slate of resolutions on the consent agenda that included the continuum‑of‑care appointment. The county said the outreach program will operate nightly beginning Dec. 29 and will coordinate morning transport and handoffs to partner agencies for ongoing services.
The next procedural step is implementation of nightly outreach and continued collaboration between county staff, health department partners and nonprofits; commissioners said they will continue monitoring outcomes and exploring housing options for people who remain unhoused.
