The City of Marysville’s planning and zoning commission recently approved a rezoning request that will allow for the annex of the Union County Family YMCA, illustrated by the arrow, to become a short-term, emergency housing shelter. Trevor Secord, CEO of the YMCA, said he is “comfortable” with the shelter being a part of the YMCA, as the annex is a separate portion of the building with a separate entrance. (Photo submitted)
A group of Union County officials and non-profit leaders believe the community is one step closer to alleviating its homeless crisis.
The City of Marysville’s planning and zoning commission recently approved a rezoning request that will pave the way for the annex of the Union County Family YMCA, 1140 Charles Lane, to become a short-term, emergency housing shelter.
“(The homeless shelter is) what I believe is a huge step in the first phase of how we can address the homeless situation in our county,” said Bruce Daniels, president of Impact60.
Impact60 leads a “Short-term Housing Collaborative Coalition for Union County,” which proposed the plans for the emergency shelter.
Those presenting to the commission on behalf of the coalition said they have been working toward creating a shelter since 2019, including visiting others to learn best practices.
One shelter partnering with the coalition and providing a model for the Union County facility is Family Promise of Delaware County.
Gwyn Stetler, executive director of the nonprofit, said their goal is to provide emergency housing that leads to permanent housing.
“If we didn’t have that vision of stabilization, that’s problematic,” Stetler said.
Similarly, the shelter in Union County would provide emergency housing for up to 90 days, said Impact60 Board Member Tony Eufinger.
“We don’t want the YMCA annex to become a way of life,” he said.
He said it will be staffed 24 hours, seven days a week by trained professionals who help those experiencing homelessness to access social and employment services.
According to the presentation shared with the commission, no sex offenders will be permitted to stay at the shelter and a resident agreement will be in place.
The shelter will be funded through private funding, along with public dollars, like grand funding, Eufinger said.
Holly Zweizig, Adult Systems of Care Director at the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Union County, said homelessness is a prominent issue in the area, though it often goes unnoticed.
She noted that homelessness “looks different in rural areas” and often consists of coach surfing and living in hotels, cars or storage units. She said there are also individuals in Union County living in tents outdoors.
Union County Commissioner Chris Schmenk said approximately 60 individuals in Union County are experiencing homelessness at any given time.
She said she is particularly troubled by the fact that, on average, 21 area students meet the definition of homelessness annually.
“This slide, just frankly, makes me tear up,” Schmenk said, adding, “It’s a statistic that the schools keep, unfortunately.”
Since Union County does not currently have a homeless shelter, Zweizig said local individuals who are facing homelessness are asked to stay in shelters in Delaware, Marion or Champaign counties.
Zweizig said these three counties provide over 2,000 nights of housing for Union County residents annually.
Schmenk said she believes there are many tangible benefits a shelter within the county would create.
She said “it will keep families together” because individuals will not have to seek shelter in separate counties; it will provide a safer environment for those in need; improve school attendance among youth encountering homelessness; and allow for better coordination of services.
“We’ll get people connected to the resources they need to get back on their feet, and that’s the goal,” Schmenk said.
Eufinger said he feels the emergency shelter aligns strongly with Marysville’s strategic plan.
He noted the first item in the city’s strategic plan is retaining current residents and attracting new ones, which includes identifying gaps in the residential marketplace.
The land where the YMCA is located is currently zoned Regional Mixed use. Eufinger said the area has long-term care facilities, hotels and extended stay hotels and multi-family housing.
“This particular zoning is probably the most appropriate place,” Eufinger said, adding that the current zoning code does not include emergency shelters in any zoning districts.
Likewise, he noted that the YMCA is close to many businesses that can offer employment to those experiencing homelessness.
“When we send people to out-of-county shelters, we’re sending people who are potential applicants and workers, in a lot of those jobs we’re trying to fill locally,” Eufinger said.
Along with appropriate zoning, Eufinger said the building itself is right for the use.
The 6,500-square-foot space is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant, has emergency exits and a fire suppression system.
Since the space was previously used as a medical facility, Eufinger said there are nine exam rooms with windows and sinks, each of which has a door that can be closed to provide privacy. Still, he said every room opens to a larger area “where staff can supervise.”
“It’s designed to be safe but it’s also designed for lots of sets of eyes to keep an eye on what’s going on,” he said.
Trevor Secord, CEO of the Union County Family YMCA, said the YMCA will be a “key partner in this venture,” as the organization was founded on the principle of providing people with safe places to stay.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he said.
Secord explained that the YMCA already partners with the Hope Center to provide shower vouchers to those in need.
Beyond that, he said he does not feel that the emergency shelter will affect members of the YMCA, as the annex is a separate space with a separate entrance.
“We feel really comfortable having this in our building, but it is also completely separate,” Secord said.
The annex is currently leased by a dermatologist’s office and allergy specialist. Secord said the YMCA will inform the tenants of plans to convert the space, with enough time for them to find alternate arrangements.
As the annex is converted, Secord said “we will make sure people understand what we’re doing and how we’re doing it.”
Ultimately Daniels said he and those at Impact60, along with their partner organizations, desire to provide “gifts” of hope, confidence and dignity to those who stay at the shelter.
“We are a hand-up organization… not a hand out,” he said.