Local non-profit hopes to set up overnight homeless shelter in Washington County

MARIETTA, Ohio (WTAP) – Washington County Homeless Project is looking into a building in hopes of securing it as an overnight shelter. That’s according to Chairwoman Robin Bozian.

She asked city council members to help fund the endeavor this winter with leftover American Rescue Plan Act money at a committee meeting Monday. The hope is to find other sources of funding for the future.

Bozian said that, while the Washington County Homeless Project has funds to staff a shelter, they don’t currently have the money for other necessities like rent.

Council member Michael Scales estimated that almost 99% of American Rescue Plan Act money has already been allocated. However, some projects might end up being under budget and that money would go back into the pot of useable American Rescue Plan Act money. Still, council won’t know that amount until after the first of the year. A disclaimer that this was not council rejecting the request. This is was what Scales said when asking how much money the project needs.

Marietta’s Community Development Director Geoff Schenkel, who has helped with the effort, said that Washington County Homeless Project can come back to council with more concrete numbers soon.

One local spoke out in support of the project at the meeting.

“We do a great job in this city taking care of our stray animals. We’re not doing that good of a job with our people and something is wrong with that. I believe we can do something,” she said.

Bozian told WTAP that, right now, they’re aiming to open the building as a winter shelter. Sometime down the line, however, they could potentially have it open year-round.

Copyright 2023 WTAP. All rights reserved.