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WHEELING -- With winter weather blowing into the Ohio Valley and COVID-19 cases on the rise, the city of Wheeling has agreed to allow facilities on the former Ohio Valley Medical Center to be used by Youth Services System as its Winter Freeze Shelter this season.
During Tuesday night's meeting of Wheeling City Council, a resolution was passed adopting a memorandum of understanding between the city and YSS for the use of space at OVMC this winter from December through March.
Officials noted that the former Hillcrest facility on the former campus of OVMC has been designated as the site for the Winter Freeze Shelter. Until now, YSS has operated the shelter in several fourth-floor rooms inside its East Wheeling administrative building.
"The current location is incredibly inadequate," said Councilman Ben Seidler. "We don't have enough room there. This is a big deal for our homeless community, especially with the COVID issue."
This winter season will mark the 12th year YSS has offered its Winter Freeze Shelter program, which offers basic needs such as food, clothing and fellowship to those in need. The program has a mission to prevent serious illness and even death of people in the community who otherwise have no adequate shelter during the often brutal winter months.
"The city of Wheeling is pleased to be able to assist YSS with the Winter Freeze Shelter by fulfilling a need in our community," Vice Mayor Chad Thalman said. "We're living in unprecedented times when it's important for entities to work together for the well-being of everyone."
Since 2009, a total of more than 1,500 people have stayed at YSS's Winter Freeze Shelter during the winter months.
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and related tightening of health and safety guidelines -- including social distancing -- officials stressed the importance of having a larger space available in terms of warm, indoor sheltering.
"In light of our increasing numbers in recent years coupled with the ongoing pandemic, we realized our current facility would likely prove woefully inadequate," YSS CEO John Moses said. "We approached the city about the space at the former Hillcrest and determined it is large enough to allow us to operate in accordance with COVID-era guidelines for homeless shelters set forth by the Centers for Disease Control.
"We're grateful for this partnership, which is the latest example of the good working relationship YSS and the city have enjoyed for more than four decades. It shows the city's dedication to helping us serve the community's most vulnerable."
According to the short-term memorandum of understanding between the city and YSS, city leaders will continue to market outside investment interests in the buildings of the former OVMC campus, including the portion that YSS will be using this winter. If need be, the city agreed to provide appropriate notice to vacate the premises in the event the building is sold and needed to be vacated before the end of the winter.
The memorandum also noted that YSS — through grant application funding — has offered to provide $1,000 per month to the city for expenses incurred.
Also Tuesday, the city approved a resolution that will help finalize the securing of funds received through the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act, which will boost allocations for the city's Community Development Block Grant recipients for pandemic-related needs for low- to moderate-income areas of the community. Among a list of local charitable organizations set to receive extra CDBG-Coronavirus money is YSS, which was allocated $21,000 through this special funding program.
According to Nancy Prager, director of the city of Wheeling's Department of Economic and Community Development, YSS is targeting these CDBG funds for several items needed to get its Winter Freeze Shelter ready for the winter — and for the pandemic.
"For the freeze shelter, they think there's going to be about 300 people going through there at various stages this winter," Prager told city leaders Tuesday. "That money is going to be used for plexiglass dividers for the intake person, for part of their rent, for storage footlockers so people who come and want to spend the night — if they do have some belongings — they'll feel comfortable locking them up. No one will touch them."
Thermometers will be purchased so intake personnel can take temperatures of those coming into the shelter, Prager noted. Clear curtains will also be purchased and will be positioned between beds as an additional precaution to keep occupants safe.
The YSS Winter Freeze Shelter is a "low bar" shelter, meaning that no identification is required for admission. Almost any adult is welcome to the shelter, but violence is not tolerated and is grounds for permanent eviction, officials noted. Children are not admitted to the Winter Freeze Shelter, but other options will be offered to help shelter a parent or parent with children who seek help during the winter.