City Gives Homeless Shelter Extension
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The city will not enforce St. John the Evangelist's conditional use permit violation until Friday. Video by nbc26.com
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GREEN BAY-- The city will not enforce St. John the Evangelist's conditional use permit violation until Friday. The city gave the shelter a deadline last week to get in compliance. The shelter was in violation of its permit for allowing more than 64 people to stay at the shelter. The city attorney released this statement late Wednesday afternoon: “The City would have preferred to handle this issue less publicly with the intent of reaching a solution agreeable to the parties. To correct any misconceptions, the City would like to reassure the Church and public that there is no intent to close the homeless shelter. The City’s only request is for the shelter to operate within the conditions placed upon it by its permit.”
A spokesperson for the Green Bay Catholic Diocese, which runs the shelter, tells NBC26 : “The press release issued by the City of Green Bay delays any action regarding St. John the Evangelist Homeless Shelter by one day. It does not address the core issues and the fact that the shelter has an approved operational plan for emergency overflow, allowing for 84 guests.”
With area shelters operating at or over capacity, there are few options for people like Calvin Farrell, who has stayed at the St. John shelter before.
"They are truly Godly people," Farrell said. "Shelter is for someone who doesn't have a place from the elements of nature."
As winter sets in, the St. John shelter isn't alone in its capacity concerns. Freedom House is always full with 12 families or about 50 people. There are currently 68 families on the waiting list.
"In the first few years of our time here, the waiting list was maybe 10 to 15 families at a time. We could probably get them in within 30 days off the list. From 2009 forward we've seen that waiting list increase dramatically," Freedom House President Robyn Davis said.
Shelter leaders say they'll continue working to serve everyone in need.
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