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Committee members raise concerns after Salvation Army shelter closures and report local homelessness gaps
Summary
Members reported that the Salvation Army has closed local shelter operations after an apparent funding shortfall and urged staff and council representatives to research shelter options; committee members cited regional shelter scarcity and county funding disparities for homeless services.
Committee members told the Senior Resident Advisory Committee that the Salvation Army recently closed shelter operations in the area and that the city received little or no prior notice of the organization’s plans.
One member told the group it “sounds like the Salvation Army… had a shortfall of, uh, funding of about 300 to $800,000,” and that the organization has since closed a men’s shelter in O’Fallon and a family shelter in St. Charles. Committee members said much of the committee’s knowledge so far comes from public reporting and personal outreach rather than direct notice from the provider.
Speakers described immediate local impacts. A member said a nearby police chief reported “between 12 and 15 teenagers right now that are homeless behind our Walmart every day.” Another committee member said there are “over 600 people homeless in Saint Charles County right now, and 197 of them are under the age of 18.”
The group also discussed funding disparities for homeless services, with one speaker saying Saint Charles County receives about $1,400 per homeless person compared with $7,200 in St. Louis County and $13,000 in St. Louis City; that speaker said the County Executive is pursuing legislation to address the disparity.
Committee members agreed to research options, explore coordination with neighboring municipalities and report back; no formal vote or funding commitment was made during the meeting.
