St. John’s Community Services will cease operations in mid November. Located at 618 West State Street in the City of Ithaca, St. John’s is currently the county’s sole homeless shelter. County officials are considering the declaration of a State of Emergency to mobilize additional resources and flexibility to provide shelter. The declaration would enable the county to tap into state emergency funds.
In a press release, the county says it is implementing alternative shelter solutions and are also evaluating additional shelter options.
The new county operated Code Blue shelter on North Tioga Street is expected to open in early November. The facility will have the capacity to accommodate 60 to 80 individuals. Code Blue is a New York State-mandated program that provides funding for counties to provide shelter during the cold weather months when temperatures are 32°F or below with wind chill. The shelter will operate from 7 PM to 7 AM.
According to the Ithaca Police Community Dashboard, St. John’s is currently the third most frequent location for calls for police assistance, with 488 calls so far this year.
The shelter has been the site of numerous overdoses, both intentional and unintentional, as well as other drug related disturbances.
In November of 2023, staff reported two people smoking meth at table at the shelter.
In January of this year, a guest at the shelter believed to be on “Spice” lacerated their genitalia in an act of self harm.
Also in January, a shelter resident was reportedly put into a choke hold by a shelter worker. Routine violence at the shelter was discussed at the April 2024 meeting of the Tompkins County Public Safety Committee.
In May of 2023, the Cancer Resource Center (CRC), located two doors down from St. John’s at 612 West State Street, opted to relocate. This decision was due to “vandalism, violence, verbal and drug abuse on the premises, belligerent interactions, attempted break ins, and public urination.” Staff and those served by CRC did not feel safe entering the building after dark or walking to their cars.
Tompkins County is advising residents in need of emergency shelter or assistance to contact the Department of Social Services, located at 320 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Street, Ithaca. The department is overseeing housing assistance efforts, including Temporary Housing Assistance and Code Blue Emergency Shelter services. They are available to provide support Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and can be reached by phone at (607) 274-5348.
The county press release can be seen below or at this link.
