Dayton City Commission approves $450K for area shelter near capacity
Wednesday night Dayton City Commissioners approved $450,000 dollars to support St. Vincent de Paul.
News Center 7 previously reported that the shelter is almost full.
The shelter has been around for 37 years and said it has never seen this much need.
Roughly 600 people spend the night at the shelter but it can only house 620.
The shelter’s director said the money is not related to the new surge in guests at the shelter, but are grants that go back to July and August of 2022.
“We’re obviously concerned that we’re nearing our limits as far as what we can shelter at our current locations. So we’re coming up with some contingency plans and we’re trying to keep ahead of the curve so that we’re here to meet the demand, so when people need shelter, they can get it,” Michael Vanderburgh, executive director said.
Vanderburgh said it costs roughly $5 million a year to operate the shelter.
Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims spoke about the recent surge in homelessness.
“Look at many of our students we have in the Dayton School District. Approximately, maybe 3,000 or 4,000 of those young people go to school every day from a different direction. It’s even more difficult sometimes for adults who have that care and responsibility for family members, to struggle in terms of finding a place to stay,” Mims said.
In the meantime, the shelter says it is coming up with some contingency plans to help meet the demand.
