Council debates city role in homelessness response; nonprofits urged to lead

Council members discussed recent outreach from volunteers and donors about homelessness and whether the city should operate shelters or rely on nonprofit operators.

"We'd have exposure, for sure," Law Director Costa Mastros said when asked about municipal liability for operating shelters. Council member Jim Mayo said he believes the city ultimately bears responsibility for addressing homelessness but also urged leveraging existing nonprofit capacity: "I honestly think it's more the responsibility of the city than a nonprofit organization," Mayo said, while other council members suggested encouraging established providers such as Urban Mission to lead operations and offering city assistance to facilitate their efforts.

Council members noted that available resources in the broader tri-state area (including the Jefferson County Community Action Council and other local access points) might be shared with residents, but they also expressed concern about where people in Steubenville should go if local services remain limited. The discussion concluded with an emphasis on encouraging nonprofits and churches that already operate shelter facilities while remaining cautious about creating new municipal shelter operations due to liability and operational complexity.