South Bend gives $2.5 million of federal aid to Motels4Now, Center for the Homeless

Jordan Smith, South Bend Tribune
·2 min read
Rain falls Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, at Motels4Now at the Knights Inn on Lincoln Way West in South Bend.
Rain falls Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, at Motels4Now at the Knights Inn on Lincoln Way West in South Bend.

SOUTH BEND — The city will give more than $2.5 million of American Rescue Plan money to a pair of local organizations to fund a homeless shelter and to support 75 emergency beds available during cold-weather months, according to a press release.

Motels4Now, a low-barrier shelter for people who are chronically homeless, is to receive $1.5 million in order to remain open. The site on Lincoln Way West in the old Knights Inn motel was recently threatened with closure after St. Joseph County leaders decided not to grant a request for more than $875,000 of federal relief money.

More:Funding for Motels4Now hits a crossroad

Leaders of the program, run by Our Lady of the Road, will now turn their attention to planning a permanent intake center to replace the current shelter. In its initial phase, the New Day Intake Center calls for 38 two-person units, or 76 spots. That's significantly fewer than the 120 spots available at Motels4Now.

“These shelter services are critical to our housing-first approach, which provides dignity and needed support to our neighbors experiencing homelessness,” South Bend Mayor James Mueller said in a statement. “We cannot go back to large tent encampments in South Bend."

The city will also give $1 million to the Center for the Homeless for an expansion of its building at 813 S. Michigan St.

More:Mix of support and skepticism for Motels4Now at council meeting

The renovations will make room for about 75 emergency beds available to people without a home during the cold-weather months. In years past, shelter has generally been available from Nov. 1 to April 1.

The new beds mean the center will serve as the city's main weather amnesty shelter starting this fall. Last year, the city split its weather amnesty payments between homeless service providers, giving $93,000 to the Center for the Homeless and more than $178,000 to Hope Ministries to operate at the Salvation Army building, according to Caleb Bauer, executive director of community investment.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend uses federal relief money to fund homeless shelter, emergency beds