Cuts May Force Huntington Homeless Shelter To Close While City Works To Relocate 

With the legislature continuing to debate a statewide camping ban that targets the homeless, the head of a unique, low-barrier shelter in Huntington says city funding cuts are forcing the facility to close its doors – at least for now. 

The Huntington City Mission’s low-barrier shelter is one-of-a-kind in West Virginia. It’s a last-chance facility for people who do not qualify for regular mission residence including people who are not sober and those who have serious mental health issues. 

Huntington Mayor Patrick Farrell has said he wanted the facility moved away from the downtown business area. 

In a February Facebook post, Farrell wrote, “I’m committed to finding a better location for these essential services. I’ve been working with the leadership team of both nonprofits (Huntington City Mission and Harmony House) to find accessible locations that are not in the middle of our central business district.”

The facility, located in the mission’s refurbished chapel, is 2 blocks from Huntington’s central business district. 

City Mission Executive Director Mitchell Webb said that staffing and legal liabilities preclude them from operating the low-barrier shelter off site. 

Webb said he’s been informed that Farrell will discontinue city funding to the emergency overnight shelter, with payment that maintains staffing ending next Wednesday.  Webb said that will shut down the facility, leaving dozens in dire straits with nowhere to go.

“Even if low barrier clients qualify to get in the mission, or would want to get in the mission, we’ve been running at capacity. So there’s really just not much room,” Webb said. 

Webb said construction of what was planned to be a permanent, low-barrier shelter with bathroom, laundry and kitchen facilities is now in question. 

“We have already received some of the money for the construction,” Webb said. “Our plans are to build until we run out of money, and then we’ll repurpose it if we need to.”

Webb said the city had given the mission $2 million in construction funding. Huntington Communications Director Evan Lee told WVPB in February that various sources of federal and state funding, not city money, have passed through the city to support the Mission’s work.

Webb said the impasse with Mayor Farrell seems unsolvable. 

“I would just say that we have a philosophical difference with the mayor,” Webb said. “We’re going to go on and do the best we can with what we have to work with.”

In an email response late Thursday, Huntington Communications Director Evan Lee confirmed the funding cuts and added: “The City of Huntington is working cooperatively with leadership of the City Mission and Harmony House to relocate emergency low-barrier shelter services outside the central business district while keeping them within city limits and accessible to those in need. The Chapel at the Mission was always intended as a temporary location for these emergency services, and this is the next step as part of the planned transition.”