“(We’re) looking to bring more rooms online as we see what increased capacity in the building — what the building can handle,” Shaeffer said.
A pipe burst at the former Executive Inn last month, causing flooding and water damage. Six families were moved from the shelter and two remained immediately following the issue.
The former hotel at 325 W. Columbia St., now operated by Dayton-based nonprofit Homefull, was to open in mid June as a temporary homeless shelter, but work on the facility delayed that until a portion of the building opened in late July. The plumbing problem set things back again.
The Executive Inn site was intended to serve as a temporary homeless shelter for about a year while the city worked to bring another, more permanent housing site online, but that site was demolished in August after city leaders declared it a public nuisance months after purchasing it.
The city bought the Executive Inn for $2.2 million in January through American Rescue Plan Act funds and approved a $1.34 million agreement with Homefull in April. Officials have said the site would be redeveloped once a more permanent solution was found.
Clark County in July approved a similar agreement with Homefull, allocating $350,000 of TANF funds to help the organization provide emergency shelter and case management in Clark County for one year.
The 75-unit non-congregate Executive Inn shelter had been accepting families who had been staying in motels on vouchers to reside in the building as rooms were slowly brought online. Tina Patterson, Homefull chief executive officer, said in July the agency was accepting residents as each room was ready.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
Homefull works with unsheltered people to fill housing, health, food access, employment and other needs. In Dayton, it broke ground on a $50 million project last month.
Sheltered Inc. was previously considered by the city as a nonprofit to oversee functions at the location, but the project went to Homefull due to “financial issues” Sheltered faced in the aftermath of a county contract cancellation, city manager Bryan Heck said during a city commission meeting in April.
Clark County terminated in February a portion of a $700,000 contract with Sheltered Inc. after “multiple violations” in regards to the reimbursement of funds were found following a review. About $495,000 was reimbursed by the county to Sheltered.
Prevention, Retention and Contingency, or PRC, is a program through Ohio DJFS that provides work support and other services to low-income families. This program is funded through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), a federally funded program.
The repurposed hotel adds more shelter capacity to the city after Sheltered Inc. reopened one of its shelters this month following funds received from OIC.
Springfield Metropolitan Housing Authority is expanding its occupancy rate as well, said Tina Koumoutsos, housing coordinator at the Clark County Combined Health District during Tuesday’s meeting.
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