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CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Turlock homeless shelter at risk of closing to stay open through summer
After months of political back-and-forth, Turlock's emergency homeless shelter for men said it's staying open thanks to a wave of community donations. The We Care shelter had requested a $10,000 grant through the city's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. But earlier this week, the Turlock City Council voted to remove the shelter from the list of approved nonprofits, citing uncertainty about its long-term status. "We keep getting emails saying they're closing," said Mayor Amy Bublak during Tuesday's meeting. "I don't really want to extend money toward something when we have no absolute." The vote follows an earlier council decision in April to withhold a symbolic $1 and a letter of support, both needed to unlock nearly $270,000 in state funding for the shelter. That move drew sharp criticism from Gov. Gavin Newsom and sparked statewide attention. But despite the latest denial, We Care Director Sandy Singh said the shelter isn't going anywhere. "Our community has really stepped up for us," Singh said. "We've received support from United Way, Stanislaus Community Foundation, and Kaiser and we're expecting more." Singh said the donations currently total about $90,000, enough to fund operations for the next three months. The shelter typically shuts down for two weeks each July for cleaning and maintenance, but plans to reopen before the end of the month. As for the $10,000 federal grant, Singh said they're still hopeful, but not relying on it. The Turlock City Council will revisit the remaining CDBG funds during its next meeting on June 24.
CBS News
25-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Turlock homeless shelter on verge of closing following city council decision
TURLOCK — A dispute over a single dollar is leaving the fate of Turlock's only homeless shelter up in the air. The Turlock City Council recently voted against writing a letter of approval and allocating $1 to secure over $260,000 in state grant funding for the shelter, We Care. The deadline for the grant is just five days away, but the city has now notified the shelter that they will not hold a special session to change their vote in time. This means that money is off the table and the shelter would likely have to close on June 30. "It's been a few months that we knew we needed to get this dollar, and then this letter of support," said Sandy Singh, director of the shelter. For Singh, that $1 denial wasn't about money. It was about a last-minute demand from Mayor Amy Bublak that either We Care or the county provide 24-hour bathroom access for the homeless. "I can't even keep track of how many times we've gone back, how many emails or text messages," Singh said. We Care did offer to supply those bathrooms in hopes that the council would hold a special meeting and reverse that vote. In a statement to CBS13, the City of Turlock said: "The mayor called for a special council meeting, but a quorum could not be reached. At this point, the city considers this matter concluded." "Losing the grant means, at the end of June, we close down," Singh said. "It means 49 men are back out on the street." We Care has started a GoFundMe to keep their doors open past June 30. CBS Sacramento cannot guarantee that the money donated to GoFundMe accounts will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering donating, you should consult your own advisers and proceed at your own risk.
