ITHACA, NY (CortacaToday) – Tompkins County is negotiating with local motels for shelter beds.

The agreement will allow the county to shelter individuals through the Department of Social Services’ Temporary Housing Assistance (THA) Program and means the county will not have to declare a state of emergency to unlock additional resources.

“We are grateful to have these motel rooms available for THA shelter beds,” said County Administrator Lisa Holmes in a statement. “This is a new development, and we are confident that we will be able to move forward on the aggressive timeline of making beds available by mid-November. THA is an important program because it provides people with shelter and other social supports to get back on their feet.”

It’s welcome news for the county as it works to finish repurposing a temporary Code Blue emergency shelter in time for winter weather, and recently learned that Saint John’s homeless shelter in Ithaca is permanently closing.

“We are meeting daily to mobilize the resources we have available and delegate tasks and responsibilities to county staff working on both shelters while continuing our regular duties,” added Holmes. “We are committed to providing regular updates as the situation changes.”

The Code Blue shelter in the repurposed Key Bank building on North Tioga Street in Downtown Ithaca remains on track to be open early next month. Anyone in need of assistance should contact the Department of Social Services, located at 320 W. Martin Luther King Jr./State Street in Ithaca, by calling (607)-274-5348 during business hours.

Once the Code Blue shelter is open, anyone who needs access should arrive at the building between the hours of 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to complete an intake process. Shelter will be offered from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and the building will also serve as a warming center from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.