About 100 people who slept at Ann Arbor's Delonis Center last winter will need somewhere else to go this November, and Washtenaw County just committed more than $2.5 million to make sure they have it.
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday, Aug. 5, to allocate the funds for winter sheltering and homeless prevention programs covering November through April, according to MLive. The allocation is more than double the county's previous $1 million annual commitment.
The urgency stems from a building-code-mandated capacity reduction at the Delonis Center, the downtown shelter at 312 W. Huron St. operated by the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County. The maximum number of people allowed to sleep on mats in common areas dropped from 130 to 52. The center retains 60 residential beds, but the math is stark.
"That is going to result in at least 100 individuals being turned away from the Delonis Center when we have not turned anyone away before," Nicole Adelman, executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, told the county board.
Last winter, overflow averaged 153 people per night, with 103 staying at the Delonis Center and 50 at offsite locations such as churches. The single-night record was 242.
Where the money goes
The largest single line item is $842,400 for hotel overflow housing when shelters are full. Of that, $608,400 covers reduced nightly room rentals and round-the-clock staffing; the rest pays for security, transportation and meals. The Days Inn off Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township was mentioned during the meeting, though no hotel was named in the formal resolution.
Other allocations include:
- $595,000 to Barrier Busters for eviction prevention (part of a $700,000 eviction-prevention total)
- $286,160 to the Shelter Association for offsite winter staffing
- $215,000 to the Shelter Association for onsite Delonis Center staffing
- $192,000 to Interfaith Hospitality Network at Alpha House for family shelter support
- $120,000 to SOS Community Services for rapid rehousing for families
- $100,000 to MissionA2 for daytime warming centers
- $50,000 for mini-grants supporting housing and homelessness prevention in western Washtenaw County
Amanda Carlisle, executive director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, which coordinates the county's Winter Shelter Task Force, told commissioners the system faces compounding pressures. She cited funding limitations, staffing challenges and federal funding instability.
Commissioners debate buying vs. renting
Commissioner Yousef Rahbi called it "fiscally irresponsible" to pay even discounted hotel rates, arguing the county should purchase a facility outright to avoid accommodations tax and property tax costs. Commissioner Caroline Sanders, whose district includes Pittsfield Township, pushed back, saying a purchase would remove the property from local tax rolls.
New family shelter opens, demand still rising
Alpha House East, a shelter for about 30 families, opened inside the Towsley Health Building on the Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital campus. Adelman told commissioners the county is still expecting family shelter demand to increase this winter.
How to get help
Residents facing a housing crisis can call Housing Access for Washtenaw County (HAWC) at (734) 961-1999, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, call 2-1-1. The winter shelter season begins in November.
