Shelter closing brings chill to homeless

Jace Radke

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 10:44 a.m.

With autumn officially beginning today, homeless advocates are working to raise awareness of the need for overnight shelter beds as the weather begins to turn colder.

This year may be colder than others for the area's homeless, with the planned early closure of Catholic Charities' 175-bed weather shelter. The shelter will be opened through Jan. 31 and then will close and ultimately be demolished.

"What we've done is plan to keep it open for as long as we can," Frank Richo of Catholic Charities said. "In February we are scheduled for asbestos abatement as we get ready to tear the building down."

A new building will be constructed, but Franciscan brother David Buer said the strain caused by the missing beds will make it tough to keep the homeless out of the cold weather in February.

"We're trying to bring attention to the fact that these beds will not be there after January, so that the community will have time to react," Buer said.

Buer and other representatives of the Homeless Advocates Task Force are holding a weeklong vigil to raise awareness of the bed shortage. Those involved will be spending the week along Main Street between Bonanza Road and Owens Avenue camping, eating with the homeless and holding prayer services.

There are 90 beds at the Salvation Army that are available to homeless men, and MASH Village officials are hoping to open their 250-bed men's cold weather shelter around Dec. 1.

"With the beds at the Salvation Army, MASH and Catholic Charities, we were able to pretty much take care of everyone last winter," Buer said. "But when we lose the beds at Catholic Charities, it will be tough."

Dave Blacksmith, executive director of the Las Vegas Rescue Mission, said homeless providers are already trying to come up with some kind of contingency plan to make up for the loss of the beds in February.

"We're scrambling to put our heads together," Blacksmith said. "Right now we're looking at our facilities and the space we have to see if there's anything we can do. It's an active conversation at this point."