GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – This week, St. Willebrord Church is hosting around 30 people a night who would otherwise have nowhere else to go.
“It just ensures that in inclement weather with thunderstorms or heavy rain or heat that people have, once again, a safe place to go at night,” said Alexia Wood, shelter director for Saint John the Evangelist.
It’s part of the new COTS Program.
While St. John’s shelter is not permitted to operate over the summer, local churches are rotating and giving people a place to sleep.
Wood tells Fox 11 most of the referrals come directly from the police department.
“They see individuals sleeping on the streets at night.”
Green Bay Metro Fire said in a statement there are a few concerns about constantly changing shelters.
“Housing of the homeless in churches that do not contain the proper life safety systems places the residents, volunteers, and emergency personnel at risk.”
Wood says, in response, Saint John’s officials would like to move the COTS program to their shelter.
“Instead of trying to get that information out to many patrol officers. Instead, it’s one location, they know where to bring people to, and the fire department would know where to respond to.”
Fire officials are asking shelter leaders to apply for a city permit to house homeless people at Saint John’s during months when the shelter is currently closed.
Alderman Randy Scannell tells Fox 11 he hopes the shelter can come to an agreement with the city on Monday.
“I’m hoping that we’ve worked our way past some of the issues. “I’m hoping that we’ll take positive steps going forward.”
Wood said this is not the same as the winter program.
“It’s simply a place to sleep. The COTS model is very different than shelter programming in the winter.”
Scannell said this is only a temporary solution to a larger issue.
“The big goal is to find something more permanent for everyone. If this is what it takes in the meantime, I fully support that, but the big goal is to get everyone some permanent housing.”
Wood says it all comes down to this…
“The reality is when the doors of St. John’s Shelter close April 30, there certainly are still individuals seeking shelter.”
