Nonprofit aims to keep Pathways and North Avenue shelters open through February

Brandon Leuallen, The Business Times

The City of Grand Junction signaled it will release roughly $185,000 in previously allocated but unspent funds to help HomewardBound of the Grand Valley maintain shelter operations through the coldest months of the year.

Meanwhile, Mesa County expects to contribute $30,000, bringing the combined public support to $215,000.

Grand Junction City Manager Mike Bennett told the city council the money includes about $70,000 left from Navigation Center allocations and roughly $115,000 from Resource Center funding that HomewardBound never used after operations scaled down this fall.

Some of the reimbursement-based dollars were returned to the city after documentation requirements were not met, leading Council member Ben Van Dyke to point out that “money was already given back, because there were no receipts.”

Why city had money available

The unspent dollars the city is now reallocating originated from agreements tied to HomewardBound’s Resource Center and Navigation Center operations earlier in 2024.

Under the amended agreement, the city reimbursed HomewardBound only after the organization submitted documentation showing how the money had been used. This structure required HomewardBound to file regular reports detailing eligible expenses before any funds were released.

Van Dyke pointed out during the meeting that in some cases the organization returned funds to the city when required documentation could not be provided. In addition to the returned reimbursements, the navigation center closed prematurely, and Homeward Bound also did not request some of the remaining funds that had been set aside for these two programs.

As a result, the city retained about $185,000 in allocated but unused money, which council signaled it will approve to be redirected to support winter shelter operations.

HomewardBound prioritizing Pathways

Interim HomewardBound Executive Director Dan Prinster outlined the nonprofit organization’s immediate financial outlook, saying HomewardBound still needs about $300,000 to operate both the Pathways family shelter and the North Avenue shelter for individuals through February. Current run rates put Pathways at $80,000 per month and the North Avenue shelter at $60,000 per month.

Prinster emphasized the organization must focus on Pathways first.

“We are fundraising the pathways shelter first, and then whatever is left over goes to North Avenue,” he said. He added the organization still needs about $40,000 to finish out December at Pathways.

HomewardBound has adopted a two-track fundraising system. Some donors, including a coalition of pastors, are contributing exclusively to North Avenue, while the nonprofit separately pursues grants and private support targeted toward Pathways.

“There are already people who say all they want to do is raise money for North Avenue. We are also going to be approaching donors to fund specifically for Pathways,” Prinster said.

North Avenue shelter closing Feb. 28

Prinster reiterated HomewardBound’s plan to consolidate operations and eventually sell the North Avenue property after Feb. 27. He said the building is tied to an older line of credit and a state covenant, but he recommended using proceeds from a sale to pay down debt and set aside capital reserves for Pathways.

“My recommendation is that they sell the property and set aside funds, because it is going to require some capital improvements,” he told council.

Prinster also apologized for earlier inconsistencies in operational-cost estimates, noting the organization has been undergoing major restructuring since he stepped into his role Sept. 23.

Stricter entry, time limits, case management

Prinster told the council that HomewardBound is tightening its barriers to entry, and some individuals will no longer qualify under the updated criteria. He said these changes are necessary to maintain safety, manage limited staff capacity and focus resources on people who can participate in case management.

As part of the organization’s restructuring, Prinster recommended establishing a clearer time limit for shelter stays, saying Pathways is considering a target of about 90 days with defined expectations at intervals such as Day 3, Day 10 and Day 30. He added the organization plans to increase case management, so staff can do more to help people transition into housing more quickly.

Prinster also noted the community does not have enough transitional-housing options to meet demand. He told council, “We have to acknowledge that there is potentially a gap at the end of that,” and some individuals may return to homelessness if no placement is available when their stay ends.

Prinster said these realities make it essential to pair new time limits with stronger case management and more direct support, so clients can progress toward stability and move out of the shelter system sooner.

During the workshop, Prinster described two distinct groups of people using the shelter system. Some individuals stay for only a few days and return periodically, contributing to an artificially low average length of stay in the data. Others remain for extended periods, with presentation charts showing large numbers staying three to six months and even six months to a year.

Prinster said understanding these patterns is part of why the organization is pursuing stricter entry expectations, clearer timelines and expanded case management aimed at helping long-term shelter residents move into housing faster.

Also, at the Nov. 19 regular City Council meeting, Mayor Cody Kennedy said the partial shelter closure earlier in the fall led to a number of individuals securing housing, based on information he received from HomewardBound’s chief operating officer.

Matching grants and immediate funding

Council member Anna Stout encouraged the city to consider a matching-grant structure to draw in other jurisdictions.

“To the extent that the city can be a leader in getting other jurisdictions to pony up, that might be a good use of our funding,” she said.

Council members Van Dyke, Scott Beilfuss and Laurel Cole expressed favoring a straightforward disbursement to avoid leaving HomewardBound uncertain about future funding.

“I would feel more comfortable just saying this would be the amount we are going to give and encouraging our community to help support,” Cole said.

Kennedy pressed for a clear understanding of how far the combined initial $215,000 would stretch. After working through the numbers, Kennedy noted the remaining need appeared to be in the range of $40,000 to $65,000 to fully fund both shelters through February.

“We are getting close to that,” he said. 

Council signals support for releasing funds

By the end of the discussion, Kennedy asked whether council is comfortable releasing the $185,000 in unspent city funds. No objections were raised.

Stout clarified she does not consider the city’s responsibility finished, and it “still has an appetite for more funding” as longer-term shelter plans begin to take shape.

Bennett closed the meeting by noting the next step will be coordinating with Mesa County leaders to explore a valley-wide approach to shelter operations and funding.