Juneau Assembly approves year-round warming shelter

The Juneau Assembly unanimously approved an ordinance to keep the city's cold-weather warming shelter open year-round; the ordinance includes about $208,000 to extend operations through June 30 and estimates an annual cost of roughly $1.1 million to be included in next fiscal year's budget.

Juneau's cold-weather warming shelter, which normally closes in spring, will now operate year-round after a unanimous vote by the Juneau Assembly. The shelter is run by a nonprofit under contract with the city and is housed in a city-owned warehouse in Thane. Supporters said keeping the shelter open aims to address limited shelter space and reduce summer camping. City officials said the change is one part of a broader approach that also includes enforcement measures when encampments pose public health or safety concerns. Key details: - The Assembly vote was unanimous to make the shelter a year-round operation. - The shelter is operated by St. Vincent de Paul inside a city-owned warehouse in Thane and is described as the city’s lowest-barrier option; it is open nightly from 9 p.m. to 6:45 a.m. and accepts anyone who is not disruptive. - The ordinance allocates about $208,000 to extend the shelter through June 30; the city estimates the annual cost at about $1.1 million and plans to include that amount in next fiscal year’s budget starting in July. - City Manager Katie Koester said expanding hours is only part of the plan and that the city will pair the change with enforcement targeted where encampments generate complaints or public-health concerns. - Dozens of social service providers and some business owners testified in support of continued funding; the executive director of NAMI noted the shelter will not be a fit for everyone and some people may continue to camp. Summary: City officials and local service providers framed the year-round shelter as a practical step to offer an alternative to summer camping and to ease pressure on limited shelter space. Funding through June 30 was approved and the city plans to include the estimated $1.1 million annual cost in the next fiscal budget beginning in July; any further budget decisions or potential cuts must be resolved before the Assembly finalizes the budget in mid-June.