Safe Harbor of Grand Traverse spoke with Grand Traverse County commissioners during their meeting Wednesday morning, in hopes of finalizing a plan to extend their services year-round.
The shelter currently operates from Oct. 15 to April 30, but community leaders say operating year-round will connect people struggling with homelessness to local resources.
“(Homelesses is) a region-wide challenge that impacts everyone. It affects those experiencing homelessness, but also our residents, businesses and service providers," said Dave Mengebier, the president and CEO of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation.
"More safe year-round emergency shelter beds and closer connections to resources will greatly reduce the number of people living unsheltered in our community,” he said.
The shelter is hoping to receive $200,000 from the county. These funds would help maintain the shelter’s operations and pay for the required special land use permit needed for the extension. Most of the shelter's budget goes toward staffing expenses.
Director of the Northwest Michigan Coalition to End Homelessness, Ashley Halladay-Schmandt told commissioners this extension is part of her team’s plan to help reduce homelessness in the Grand Traverse area.
"To effectively address and end homelessness — which means homelessness becomes rare, brief and one-time — we need to scale up all efforts in our region,” Halladay-Schmandt said. “We need more emergency shelter right now simply because people deserve shelter in our community.”
The county commissioners will vote on this proposal during their meeting on Feb. 5.
Shelters step up for arctic blast conditions
Temperatures are dangerously low for people across the state, and without the proper gear, extended time outside can result in frostbite or hypothermia.
Nearly all 74 beds are occupied at Safe Harbor. This is a normal level of occupancy for this time of year, but Brad Gerlach, with the shelter, said frigid weather does affect operations.
"I mean, the cold is just hard on people," Gerlach said. "It's tiring, they've got to navigate the sidewalks, which are harder to clear. Getting from point A to point B is much more difficult, so you'll see people more worn out, more frustrated."
For people needing short-term shelter to warm up in the Grand Traverse region, Gerlach said they can reach out to the Goodwill Inn, which is a year-round emergency center.
Traverse City has called a "code blue," which goes into effect when temperatures and wind chill are below 10'F. This can prompt emergency warming shelters like the Goodwill Inn to open.
"We had stretches in years past where it was 30+ straight nights where it would get cold," Gerlach said. "It's just the last two years have been exceptionally warm, and we've kind of forgotten what traditional winter is."
The eastern Upper Peninsula is also facing a winter storm advisory and frigid temperatures, but non-profits like the Chippewa Luce Mackinac Community Action Agency can connect people in need to shelter.
