MORGANTOWN — At what point can someone say they’re from Monongalia County?
When can a person claim Morgantown as home?
Is it based on a feeling – the passage of time – an address?
And why, ultimately, does it matter?
A debate has sparked of late about who is utilizing the Grace Shelter and seasonal warming shelter – both in Hazel’s House of Hope and both operated by Catholic Charities West Virginia.
It’s been spurred primarily by Monongalia County Commissioner Tom Bloom’s public reaction to the December intake numbers for the warming shelter.
The numbers are included in the shelter’s first monthly report. The monthly reports were mandated as a condition of funding from the city and the county, each of which put up $40,000 for the temporary shelter.
Among the information the commission specifically wanted included in those reports is where the shelter’s guests are coming from. The final funding agreement approved by both the city and county explained that priority is to be given to local individuals.
So, where are the 34 individuals who used the warming shelter between Dec. 11 and Dec. 31 from?
Well, half the people chose not to answer that question. Eight indicated they were from other areas of West Virginia; five said they were local and four claimed other states.
Bloom lamented, both online and to the press, that these numbers as well as data he’s seen from the year-round Grace Shelter – which received $150,000 from both the city and county – were indicators that the majority of individuals utilizing the shelters are from outside Monongalia County.
His concerns, posted to Facebook, have drawn nearly 80 responses in the last few days.
Many of those responses follow a couple themes. They were spelled out in the questions that opened this report.
They were put to Bloom and the commission directly on Wednesday by Lindsey Jacobs.
Jacobs is a program director for Mountain State Justice, the legal advocacy group currently suing the commission over its vehicle and pedestrian safety ordinance.
Jacobs said the residency question is, at best, poorly conceived and, at worst, akin to an anti-immigrant sentiment about “someone from somewhere else.”
“In fact, anybody staying up at the shelter right now, I could go register them to vote today. In fact, I probably will so we can put this whole residency question to bed, because really, it’s a straw man. Why do we care where people are from,” Jacobs asked. “They’re here now. They’re members of our community. They’re our neighbors.”
During comments offered Tuesday to Morgantown City Council, Jacobs speculated that the motivation for Bloom’s commentary could be a future reduction in shelter funding from the county or an effort to refute the need for additional shelter facilities.
“You don’t have the correct facts,” Bloom responded Wednesday.
“What we did and what we’re trying to do is get people out of the encampments, into a warm environment and try and help them. The money that we give – this specific money – is directly from the city and the county, not from state or federal guidelines. Therefore, our taxpayers want to make sure we’re providing funds for our individuals,” Bloom said. “When we see that the individuals are not using it from our county, it comes to be a problem.”
The commissioner has repeatedly expressed frustration at advocates within the community who he believes are assisting people in remaining outdoors instead of utilizing the facilities being offered.
“For the record, and we’ve said this time and time again, nobody will ever be denied service. The only thing we’re trying to do with this, and we did the same thing with our bus pass program, is try to get data,” Commissioner Sean Sikora said. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there … The commission will continue supporting these projects. We’re trying to make sure we’re doing right by our citizens as best as we can.”
Dr. Jessica Thompson, who operates both the seasonal shelter and Grace Shelter for Catholic Charities, told The Dominion Post nobody has ever been turned away from the warming shelter.
Despite a close call on Sunday night, the shelter has never even been full. Even so, Thompson has received approval from the fire marshal to increase the shelter capacity from 21 to 30 beds, if needed.
