\t\t\t\t\tWhat’s at stake?<\/p>\n
Three homeless shelters will see funding to continue operating into 2026, momentarily dousing fears that the city can see some of these spaces close down soon. <\/p>\n
The city also finalized regulations against kratom-based products<\/p>\n
The Fresno City Council unanimously approved millions of dollars in funding for three homeless shelters, granting a reprieve to residents facing the prospect of returning to the streets this winter, and giving the city more time to fund long-term solutions.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The funding passed in a 6-0 vote, with Councilmember Tyler Maxwell absent from Thursday\u2019s meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s total investment is about $4.2 million, and it will fund the Valley Inn facility on 933 North Parkway Drive, the Travel Inn shelter on 1444 W. White Ave., and Hope Pointe on 4061 North Blackstone Ave.<\/p>\n
The move comes as state <\/a>and federal<\/a> lawmakers cut homelessness-related funding.<\/p>\n The concerns, which have hung over the heads of local leaders for years, reached a critical point when it was announced that two of the city\u2019s shelters would close at the end of this year<\/a> due to a lack of funding.<\/p>\n Fresno City Council Vice President Miguel Arias<\/a>, whose southwest district houses the most homeless shelters in the city, was among those sounding the alarm. Arias said that the city\u2019s funding move, along with years of investment toward the shelters, is proof that leaders are taking the issue seriously.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI know from the outside, if you\u2019re just waiting at the last minute, it seems like we\u2019re not doing enough,\u201d Arias said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s funding comes from the state\u2019s Homeless Housing Assistance Program<\/a>, which allocates money to help run local-level initiatives for the unhoused. The City of Fresno has been awarded about $41 million in HHAP funding since the program first started in 2020.\u00a0<\/p>\n Maintaining shelters can cost millions of dollars, leaving cities like Fresno dependent on state and federal funding. It\u2019s also what leads to staggered sunset dates for shelters, as each facility has its own timeline for prospective conversion into housing.<\/p>\n The Valley Inn shelter funded Thursday only extends operations to June 2026, for example, because city leaders applied earlier this year<\/a> for $35 million from the state to convert the space into housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n The city\u2019s Assistant Director of Planning and Development Phil Skei said at Thursday\u2019s meeting that the city is \u201coptimistic\u201d they\u2019ll receive the funding, and that they\u2019re expecting a response from state housing officials sometime within the next six months.\u00a0<\/p>\n Local faith-based nonprofit started their own shelter initiative<\/p>\n The news earlier this year of shelters closing<\/a>, and the precarious nature of homelessness program funding, inspired at least one local leader to become more proactive.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fresno Mission, a faith-based nonprofit that provides supportive services to the local unhoused community, announced earlier this week the launch of their Winter Crisis Shelter Project \u2014 an initiative they hope will help fill the gap from the closure of some of the city\u2019s shelters over the winter season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Matt Dildine, CEO of the Fresno Mission, told Fresnoland on Tuesday that the organization\u2019s initiative comes after an increase in demand for shelter space in the city, including a waitlist at their own site. The initiative will see the Mission double their shelter capacity to 180.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dildine said the initiative, which he said costs about $2,500 per night, got off the ground through the Mission\u2019s own budget. He said that community support is \u201cpretty critical\u201d toward the success of the program going forward.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was definitely a walk of faith for us,\u201d Dildine said of the funding. He told Fresnoland that Community Medical Centers<\/a> donated $100,000 to the program, close to half the Mission\u2019s total fundraising goal of $250,000, but he said the Mission will continue running the program until the money runs out.<\/p>\n Community members can assist the Fresno Mission through monetary donations and volunteer work opportunities<\/a>, Dildine said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Donations can be made online at the Fresno Mission website<\/a>.<\/p>\n City approves regulations against kratom, with changes<\/p>\n Some forms of kratom-based products can continue to be sold in the city following an eleventh-hour change by the city council on Thursday. <\/p>\n Kratom is a plant that is native to southeast Asia that sprouts leaves that can be turned into an extract to be used in consumable drug and health supplements.\u00a0<\/p>\n