The City of Galesburg continues to work with pair of community partners to ensure a warming shelter is available for those in need this winter. Aldermen and the public will learn of the progress of a warming facility during a City Council work session at 6 p.m. today at City Hall.
Interim City Manager Wayne Carl said city administration has been meeting with the Knox County Housing Authority and Salvation Arm the past two months to work on warming center options for the 2023-24 season.
“At this time, a location has not been agreed to but there are a few options that we are looking into and we hope to secure one of them for this winter,” Carl said.
On Monday, Carl said KCHA and the Salvation Arm plan to provide a review of last year’s warming center operations, provide an overview of how they work together to operate the warmer shelter, and work to transition homeless people into permanent housing.
Galesburg Mayor Peter Schwartzman said the city is close to making a final decision on a location.
“We are hesitant to discuss them as they involve community partners that may not be ready to disclose their intentions,” Schwartzman said.
Last year, a partnership between the City of Galesburg, the Knox County Housing Authority and the Salvation Army provided a warming shelter from Dec. 12 through March 31 at Moon Towers, 255 W. Tompkins St.
The city previously offered a warming center at Hawthorne Gym. There were plans to move the warming center to the Salvation Army at 510 N. Kellogg St., but the move failed to materialize due to issues over the lack of a sprinkler system at that facility.
Schwartzman said he believes its crucial for the city to offer a dependable warming center to the Galesburg population.
“Our city is not different from any other in that it has an unhoused population, some semi-permanent and most temporary,” he said. “It is humane for the city to assist local organizations in helping the unhoused find permanent housing, whenever possible.
“All people should be able to have safe sleeping accommodations as well as food and hygiene supplies. I firmly believe we have the resources in our city to provide all its residents these basic human needs.”
