ITHACA, N.Y. — St. John’s Community Services (SJCS) will end its operation of Tompkins County’s only year-round emergency homeless shelter on West State Street in the coming weeks. Homeless advocates said the move could prove dangerous, with freezing temperatures likely just days away.
SJCS, an organization based in Virginia, “has notified Tompkins County that they will no longer operate the shelter facility […] as of mid-November,” according to a county press release.
SJCS CEO Alan Thornton confirmed via email his organization “had every intention of continuing to provide […] shelter services” and had submitted a bid to do so, but “made the difficult decision” to step away from the operation of the shelter.
Thornton said that while his organization is currently operating the shelter, it has been doing so without a contract. The county’s contract with SJCS expired at the end of September, but the two parties were not able to reach an agreement on an extension.
Thornton said county officials did not offer a full-year contract, citing “operational concerns” that arose after a recent inspection by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the state agency that regulates homeless shelters. ALAN said SJCS has not received the results of that inspection yet.
Earlier this year, The Ithaca Voice made a request under New York’s Freedom of Information Law to obtain copies of recent inspection reports for the shelter. State officials have not yet granted the request.
Some shelter users said physical conflicts between staff and shelter guests have occurred on several occasions. One notable incident this January involved a SJCS worker pushing an older man to the ground and putting him in a chokehold during an altercation.
“Providing shelter services is difficult work,” Thornton wrote. “When we’ve made mistakes we have admitted responsibility and worked to correct [them.] We care about the individuals and families that we’ve been able to assist and will do all in our power to continue their support until we transition services to the county.”
County officials are considering a state of emergency declaration, which would give the county the resources to more quickly prop up last-minute shelter arrangements.
County officials said those in need of shelter should go to the county’s Department of Social Services, which will be handling local programming for sheltering homeless individuals this year.
“With the closure of the SJCS-operated shelter, Tompkins County is utilizing alternative sheltering approaches to serve individuals in need,” the announcement states. “Clients seeking services through the Department of Social Services will be offered shelter and programs based on their individual situation.”
A source with the county told The Ithaca Voice that SJCS notified county leaders of its decision to pull out on Wednesday.
Other local homeless advocates also said the announcement took them by surprise. Some advocates said they only had learned of the news Friday morning, just hours before the county’s announcement was published.
The announcement comes ahead of one of the busiest times of the year for local shelter services, which must handle increased demand as temperatures drop and sleeping outside becomes more dangerous.
Counties are mandated by state law to provide housing to anyone who needs it when night time lows dip below freezing, typically between October and April, also known as “Code Blue.”
In past years, SJCS has also managed Tompkins County’s Code Blue program, but will not do so this year, leaving the task to the county’s Department of Social Services to handle directly.
SJCS had typically housed people in local motel rooms as well as in the shelter on West State Street when the winter shelter mandate was in effect.
But county officials have eschewed that idea this year, citing concerns that state funds this year will not cover the cost of the motel rooms.
Instead, the county plans to convert the former KeyBank building on North Tioga Street into a homeless shelter for the winter. The building will house 60-80 people, but is not expected to open until early November.
St. John’s Community Services has operated the State Street shelter since 2018. The shelter was operated in the same building by other organizations before then, including the Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army.
If you anticipate you may need to access emergency shelter, you can find more information and resources here or by calling or texting 2-1-1. New York State requires counties to provide shelter to anyone who asks when evening temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit, regardless of disability status, income, sobriety or other factors.
The post Sole year-round homeless shelter to cease operations in mid-November appeared first on The Ithaca Voice.