A new shelter for Valparaiso residents who are unhoused is set to open, but some think there still needs to be more coordination from the city.
On January 20 and 21, the city helped organize an overnight shelter at Christ Lutheran Church, due to the dangerously cold weather. Diana Iltzsche told the city council Monday that the church housed 13 people those two days.
"I had wished that the city had been a little bit more proactive," Iltzsche said. "I am grateful that you did not give up because we act best when we act together."
Resident and former mayoral candidate Hannah Trueblood thanked city officials for finding people a warm place to stay, but said they shouldn't wait for cold weather to begin making plans. "The emergency shelter was really put together last-minute, and thank you to the church that opened their doors and to the volunteers that brought it," Trueblood said. "However, that shouldn't be their responsibility."
Now, Valparaiso's efforts to tackle housing insecurity are taking a major step forward. Daybreak, a new shelter for men, is expected to partially open this weekend, according to a social media post from the organization.
Mayor Jon Costas said it will not only provide a warm place to stay, but also give residents the support they need to become self-sustaining. "So, really the issue is solved, going into the future," Costas said. "That facility is completely paid for. We've raised all the money for it. Mitch Peters and I have been working on this for two years. We're very proud of it. It's a wonderful structure."
But resident Mary D'Aloisio urged the city to remain involved, to make sure there are enough emergency shelter beds for those who need them. "I'm just concerned that, without any oversight and with all these public funds that go to our awesome NPOs that work hard and do great, that we're going to miss an opportunity and we're going to have real people in those cold gaps."
Likewise, Trueblood felt the Daybreak shelter isn't the end of the issue. "That's a great thing that we have, but it's not going to be enough," Trueblood said. "There's always going to be a need somewhere else."
Mayor Costas said the city would continue to partner with churches and non-profits, but he felt it's not up to the government to solve every problem.