Grant sought by Wilkes-Barre for drop-in day center for homeless

WILKES-BARRE — The disclosure by Mayor George Brown a daily drop-in center for the homeless was in the works overshadowed the regular business of City Council Thursday.

Brown brought up the center after Council unanimously approved all the items on the agenda for its public meeting at City Hall.

By a 5-0 vote Council advanced the $3.2 million Stormwater and Sewer Upgrades project on various streets throughout the city. The city said Pennsy Supply, Inc. was the lowest responsible bidder and will be paid through the $37.1 million in American Rescue Plan money allocated by the federal government for pandemic relief.

Council also voted to move forward with the city’s participation in the Lower South Valley Land Bank to deal with blighted properties, the removal of the city administrator and human resources director from the Aggregated Pension Fund Board in order to comply with the 3rd Class City Code and the approval of the 2022 Action Plan that includes the $1.4 million budget for the federal Community Development Block Grant Program and the $374,316 budget for the HOME Program.

Council further took the first step to amend the residential permit parking ordinance to include Sterling Avenue between Gates Street and Carey Avenue.

Residents’ concerns about the planned closing in October of First Hospital in Kingston leading to more people on the streets without a place to go for mental health and substance use disorder treatment.

“My fear is they’re going to end up back on the streets. And I think we have enough homeless people on the streets right now,” said Pam Keefe, who provides outreach services. She raised the need for a drop-in day center for homeless to shower, store their belongings in lockers and receive counseling. A private investor who used to be homeless reached out and wants to help, she said.

Council Chairwoman Beth Gilbert McBride agreed with Keefe that the closing would hit Wilkes-Barre hard and said “it is going to be an absolute nightmare and people are going to die.”

McBride supported Council drafting a letter to the state legislature asking for support to keep the facility open and backed Keefe’s call for the drop-in center.

Brown spoke up and said he has been in discussions with a contractor about such a center.

“We are looking at creating a place. It’s going to cost $278,000,” Brown said, adding the city has written a grant application that’s being reviewed by the state.

“We get that money, it’s going to be a brand new facility, we’re going to be building. It’s going to have an opportunity for people to come and take showers,” Brown said. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be provided while the center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. And housing will be available for people at night.

The center will have a patio for the people to gather and get them off Public Square and from under the Market Street Bridge, Brown said.

“So this is something that we’re pushing very heavily because it’s going to address a lot of the homelessness that you see here,” Brown said.

If the grant is awarded soon, the center could be operational in four months, Brown said.