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Council raises alarm over public-safety gaps as shelters close Oct. 31
Summary
Council members and public commenters warned that the scheduled Oct. 31 shelter closures could leave people with no place to go and increase emergency-room visits and loitering; community groups are organizing a meeting Friday at the JFK Building.
Council member Mayo warned the Steubenville City Council on Oct. 21 that the planned closure of area shelters effective Oct. 31 could create a public-safety problem for the city. “It’s going to be a lot more trip to the emergency room, a lot more people loitering and having no place to go,” Council member Mayo said, urging the city to identify services beyond emergency options such as the Martin Luther King Center.
Public commenters echoed the concern. Jeffery Hawkins asked what the city would do “for these people once they ended up on the streets,” and Mike Thomas said advocates and community members met the previous night and are compiling a list of churches willing to help. Thomas told the council a follow-up meeting is scheduled Friday at 10:00 a.m. at the JFK Building to coordinate local responses. Council and staff did not adopt a new program at the meeting; they discussed possible short-term accommodations and asked staff to explore options and coordination with community partners.
