Housing Department Scheduled to Make Recommendation to City Council on Bad Weather Shelter on Monday – Pasadena Now | #citycouncil

Pasadena Now has learned that the Housing Department will bring a recommendation for a Bad Weather Shelter to the City Council on Monday.

In August, Housing Director Bill Huang said the department had a tentative location identified and was awaiting proposals from bad weather shelter operators.

Huang did not identify the site on Monday when asked by Pasadena Now.

The City has been without a Bad Weather Shelter since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past three years, the City has spent an estimated $1.036 million across federal, state and county grant funds on weather-activated motel vouchers.

With less funding available to support weather-activated motel vouchers in the 2022-2023 winter season as a result of a federal emergency grant winding down, the City Council committed $375,000 of General Fund dollars to sustain the weather-activated motel vouchers provided by Friends In Deed and the Public Health Department this past season.

During that time, 239 people were served through the motel voucher program, on 91 nights. From Feb. 24-26, 129 unsheltered residents stayed in motel rooms funded by the City.

The shelter operated on nights when the temperature fell to 40 degrees or less or there was a 40% chance of rain forecast.

The winter shelter operator will be required to provide low-barrier, safe and supportive congregate emergency shelter to single adults experiencing homelessness to protect them from inclement weather.

Friends In Deed began offering the Bad Weather Shelter in 1988 after a homeless man died while sleeping outside on a bus bench during freezing weather.

The nonprofit stepped forward to offer a reprieve from inclement weather for homeless people.

The shelter was located at Pasadena Covenant Church on Lake Avenue.