By City of Madison
Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway recently announced that the temporary homeless shelter for men will be leaving the Warner Park Community Recreation Center (WPCRC), where it has operated since March 30, and moving to the recently vacated Fleet Services Building at 202 S. First St. The move is expected to occur before the end of the year.
“With no immediate end of the COVID pandemic in sight, the issue of protecting our most vulnerable remains a priority,” Rhodes-Conway said. “I am pleased that the Fleet Services building will be able to serve as a temporary shelter while we continue work on a permanent site for a new men’s shelter.”
The Fleet Services building provides nearly 40,000 square feet of space, about twice the room available at WPCRC. It can accommodate as many as 250 men, while WPCRC has room for fewer than 150. The fleet property will also offer expanded bathroom and shower facilities, and allow intake and health screening to take place indoors.
The shelter, operated by Porchlight, Inc., was forced to move in the early weeks of the pandemic from its previous location in the basement of Grace Episcopal Church because the church venue lacked sufficient space to meet social distancing needs.
Alder Syed Abbas, whose district includes both the WPCRC and First Street locations, expressed support for the move. “The Warner Park Center provided a tremendous service to the community when it was most needed,” he said, “but it was nearing its capacity. I look forward to returning Warner Park Center to its prior use and anticipate programming there to resume in January 2021.”
The Fleet Services property is slated to become home to the proposed Madison Public Market, and the mayor emphasized its use for shelter services will not interfere with those plans. “I expect we will have a permanent shelter facility in place by next fall, when work on the Public Market is scheduled to begin,” she said.
The city, in partnership with Dane County, is in the midst of a search for a permanent location for a men’s shelter, and Rhodes-Conway indicated staff are evaluating a number of very promising options. “I hope to be able to announce the site for a permanent shelter yet this year,” she said.
The move to expand shelter capacity is part of a broader effort to improve services to the area’s homeless population and is hoped to draw those who have previously been reluctant to use shelter. The shelter will continue to take extensive precautions against COVID-19, including daily sanitizing, requiring masks and symptom screening on entry. Individuals who are high risk for COVID can access hotel rooms, and those with COVID symptoms are placed in a medical respite facility. There is no limit on the number of nights an individual can access this shelter.
The mayor expressed her gratitude to Northside residents, Alder Abbas and Alder Rebecca Kemble for their support and patience during the WPCRC’s conversion to use as temporary shelter. Alder Abbas is preparing to convene a neighborhood meeting in early December to share information with residents and gather their input.