Sheltered Inc. — which runs the only current full-time homeless shelters in Springfield — will stay open for at least two more months, thanks to emergency money from the city.
The organization had announced plans to close its Springfield Hartley House Shelter for men in January and its women and families shelter in March due to funding shortfalls.
In response, Springfield city commissioners approved over $67,000 from its federal Community Development Block Grant to keep it open through at least February.
"Our primary goal is ensuring that people have safe shelter, especially during the winter," said Logan Cobbs, Springfield's director of community development.
She said the city is actively looking for long-term solutions to prevent future closures and keep unhoused neighbors in Springfield safe.
When Sheltered Inc. initially announced its plans to close its shelters in a news release, the local nonprofit pointed to a lack of funding after Clark County commissioners cut their funding last year.
The county has sued Sheltered Inc., seeking reimbursement and claiming they mismanaged money.
Sheltered, Inc. has denied any wrongdoing previously. Its leaders didn't respond to multiple requests from WYSO for comment.
Sheltered Inc. has been operating its two shelters out of Springfield for decades.
Each site has been a heavily used resource, Cobbs said. The men's shelter can serve about 36 people at a time, and the women and families shelter can house 43 people.
"Emergency shelters often operate close to capacity, especially during our colder weather. More specifically our women and children's shelter," she said. "We're working with partners to better understand what those trends are and to plan effectively."
The city previously contracted with Homefull to operate a shelter at the Executive Inn, which closed in 2024 due to a City Commission vote to not renew the contract.
As the operators of the only full-time homeless shelters in the city, Cobbs said Springfield’s unhoused community members rely on Sheltered Inc.’s services.
"Sheltered Inc has been a critical part of our community's safety net for decades. They provided emergency shelter, stability, connections to services and really dignity during some of the most difficult moments in residents' lives," she said.
Community support is vital during these uncertain times, Cobbs said.
“There'll definitely be opportunities for the community to rally behind whatever next steps are," she said. "But that's something that we're working diligently to determine.”
The city is also funding the Nehemiah Foundation's warming shelter to provide overnight relief for unhoused community members during extreme cold. This new facility offers 24-hour shelter when temperatures hit single digits.
Cobbs said they're always looking for volunteers to help serve the community.
"When it comes to food donations, when it come to clothing, the community has really rallied behind this initiative. But when it comes to boots on the ground, actually taking a shift and volunteering, there's a great need there," she said. "So I would encourage the community to really step up, get engaged, get involved, reach out to the Nehemiah Foundation, pick up a shift, because the need is vast."
