Overnight shelter to remain closed in Scranton, 'Code Blue' shelter expects overflow
Dec. 28—An emergency homeless shelter and transitional housing facility in Scranton remained closed Tuesday after a burst pipe doused the building with water.
St. Anthony's Haven overnight emergency shelter and St. James Manor transitional housing shelter sustained "significant water damage" on several floors Monday night, the Diocese of Scranton said in a statement. The Wyoming Avenue shelters are operated by Catholic Social Services.
The Weston Field House, a temporary overnight shelter on Providence Road that opens when temperatures dip below 20 degrees, will remain open through Thursday. Part of the city's "Code Blue" program, the temporary shelter was slated to close after Wednesday.
The city and Keystone Mission, which operates the Weston Field House shelter, will determine later this week if they need to keep the shelter open through the weekend.
A sprinkler pipe burst Monday night and displaced 15 people from St. James Manor and caused officials to turn away 24 people from the overnight homeless shelter. A notice was posted by the city on the building's door Tuesday noting the facility was too dangerous for habitation.
All of the clients from St. James Manor found shelter with friends or family or were provided new accommodations by Catholic Social Services, the diocese said.
Those turned away from the homeless shelter found refuge at the Weston Field House. However, the overflow exceeded the 25 available cots, leaving some to sleep on the floor.
Helen Velez, 53, passed the night in pain because the lack of a cot meant she had to sleep on a hip and leg injured in a car crash earlier this month. She has spent the last several days at St. Anthony's Haven after arriving in the area to escape an abusive partner. She had nowhere else to go.
"I'm just trying to do my best," she said.
She sought refuge from the cold Tuesday at the Community Intervention Center on North Sixth Avenue, where Jason Griffiths, a supportive housing case manager, said several others turned away from St. Anthony's Haven went for rest and a shower.
Anthony Andino, 59, said he watched for two hours Monday night as firefighters worked at the Wyoming Avenue building before he walked to the Weston Field House. He estimated 30 to 40 people stayed there overnight. He managed to get a cot and blankets.
"I'm going wherever there's heat," Andino said. "And that's over at Weston Field."
Justin Behrens, CEO and executive director of Keystone Mission, said the mission was in contact with the city to bring more cots to the shelter Tuesday.
"Our capacity is 25, so we had 25 cots," said Behrens, who noted they had blankets available for those on the floor. "We didn't want to turn anyone away."
Fire Chief John Judge said they will have additional cots ready.
The diocese said staff was working "as quickly as possible" to reopen St. Anthony's Haven and return residents to St. James Manor.
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