ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) – Tompkins County’s shelter system for the unhoused is getting more complicated in the short term.

The county received news last week that its current permanent homeless shelter, St. John’s Community Services (SJCS) on West State Street in Ithaca, will cease all operations in mid-November. The news comes as county personnel scrambles to complete its own temporary Code Blue shelter for the upcoming winter, and as the county is still in the planning phase for a year-round state-certified facility.

Additional options for ongoing operations are being assessed, and the county is considering issuing a State of Emergency declaration to unlock additional resources for shelter options.

It’s accelerated the pace of work on an already taxing project to repurpose the vacant Key Bank building in Downtown Ithaca as a temporary cold-weather shelter. The county has scrambled to get the project off the ground since it learned it would be responsible for Code Blue operations in September. Only recently did DSS hear back from New York State about a $2 million reimbursement.

Things are progressing quickly now, with County Administrator Lisa Holmes saying last Thursday that the fire alarm panel was nearing completion, and general contract work should start this week.

Holmes adds the county and work crews are shooting to open by Monday, November 4, 2024.

Anyone who needs shelter or housing assistance, cold weather or otherwise, is asked to contact the Department of Social Services (DSS). They’re open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. County officials say anyone seeking services through DSS will be offered shelter and programs based on their situation.

Tompkins County Department of Social Services

320 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Ithaca, NY

(607)-274-5348