MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Conversations have begun and plans are coming together for the warming shelter that will serve the Morgantown area in the coming year.
The director of Grace Shelter, operated by Catholic Charities at Hazel’s House of Hope, told the Morgantown City Council last week the shelter will likely be on Scott Avenue this year. The final decision could come in August, which would provide Mindy Thorne and her team more time to prepare than in years past.
“As of right now there’s a pretty positive outlook for that shelter to return to Hazel’s House of Hope,” Thorne said. “We have to wait for an additional board meeting in August and things like that, but it was a really optimistic conversation.”
Work still continues to close the budget gap to operate the shelter. Morgantown has agreed to provide a portion of the funding, but the Monongalia County Commission has denied the request, and the West Virginia First Foundation (WVFF) has expressed concern due to their low-barrier policies.
“Our budgeted line item for last year was $68,000, and as of right now we only have $40,000 committed,” Thorne said. “So, that’s another big part of that conversation that has to take place is where is the rest going to come from.”
In 2024, the shelter went from 28 beds down to 19 after an inspection by the local fire marshal. Thorne maintains two emergency beds, bringing the total beds available currently to 21. The most recent Point in Time (PIT) count said there were 150 homeless people in the Morgantown area.
“I consistently stay full, and in the most extreme temperatures it’s even worse,” Thorne said. “In the hottest of the hot and the coldest of the cold, we get even 10-plus people a day that are needing space.”
Councilman Mark Downs noted the PIT totals and observed we should be receiving more funding through the HUD Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) program that last year funneled $1.8 million in the state. Thorne told councilors that she and Catholic Charities leadership actively search for and apply for grant opportunities at all levels.
“Only $50,000 comes here, so with our PIT count numbers it seems like there’s a business case alone that would demand more funding,” Downs said.
The 2025 warming shelter was housed at the West Run facility and was managed with the help of the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness (WVCEH) and had a 30-bed capacity. The facility is in foreclosure due to the 2024 financial collapse of the Bartlett House and is no longer available.
“As far as everybody that was present at our meeting this afternoon, I’m confident that as long as we can get everybody to cooperate and make this happen, we’ll be able to serve our community for another year and another winter.”