Tompkins County unveiled its plan to turn a vacant county-owned building into an emergency shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness this winter on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
According to the county’s press release, the temporary shelter located at 300 North Tioga St. in Ithaca is part of the New York State-mandated Code Blue program which “[funds] counties to provide shelter during the cold weather months when temperatures are 32 [degrees Fahrenheit] or below with wind chill.”
Tompkins County Communications Director Dominick Recckio wrote in an email to The Sun that “the shelter is anticipated to house 60-80 individuals on any given evening.”
Code Blue funding has historically run from November through April. Additionally, the county will offer a warming center which will function as a temporary relief shelter during extreme weather.
The designation of the former bank location as the 2024-2025 Code Blue shelter site follows the county’s efforts to issue a Request for Proposals this past July in which the county asked local firms to assist in providing shelter under Code Blue.
According to Recckio, “no businesses or nonprofits responded with a viable proposal to run the program,” leaving the Department of Social Services to assume responsibility for the operations of the program this season.
The Code Blue shelter will supplement St. John’s Community Services year-round shelter, also operated by the Department of Social Services, located at 618 West Martin Luther King, Jr. St. in the City of Ithaca.
St. John’s provides temporary housing assistance for individuals experiencing homelessness year-round, as well as a food pantry and Friendship Center, which provides “warm showers, internet access, meals and a daytime refuge from harsh weather,” according to their website.
The City of Ithaca is currently establishing a permanent shelter that would offer as many as 100 beds to individuals experiencing homelessness. Tompkins County issued a request for qualification this past July which seeks development partners to help design a new shelter.
According to Recckio, the need for a new shelter was identified in 2023 in response to an average of 132 individuals per day who sought shelter from October 2022 to September 2023, and the county is currently “in real estate negotiations” with plans to build a new shelter soon.
In the meantime, the Department of Social Services is working to ensure that the Code Blue shelter can provide for this demand. Individuals with interest or experience providing care to people in need are encouraged to apply for employment opportunities at the shelter through the county’s Department for Social Services.
Individuals seeking shelter can find information on the Department of Social Services website or at the department’s office located at 320 West Martin Luther King Jr. St. They can also contact the department at (607)274-5680.