City spends about $47,500 to keep the homeless warming center open 37 nights this winter
How we attribute this: Corrected 2026-08-28: an 8-0 tally had been synthesised from the attendance roll call at [t=84] and a voice vote at [t=2465]. Neither records how any individual member voted.
Who it touches: Residents experiencing homelessness who rely on the warming center to get out of the cold, and taxpayers covering the roughly $47,500 total cost this winter.
Tracked in the archive
The council appropriated a $2,500 Duke Energy grant to help fund this winter's homeless warming center, run by Mental Health America at the Lotus Center.
Human Relations Commission Director A.T.
Ryan told the council the city had already asked the county council this week to reimburse the city $15,001 for the same program, on top of $30,000 the city had already committed.
The center was open 37 nights this year at $1,200 a night — $44,400 spent — bringing the total warming-center budget to about $47,500 once the $2,500, $15,001, and $30,000 are combined.
Sources
- A.T. Ryan presents Appropriation 6, 20260:43:29 (43 minutes 29 seconds)
- The city's pending $15,001 county reimbursement request0:44:01 (44 minutes 1 second)
- Warming center cost breakdown — 37 nights, $44,400 spent, $47,500 total budget0:44:34 (44 minutes 34 seconds)
- Motion and vote0:46:09 (46 minutes 9 seconds)
Outcome
Passed on a voice vote
This summary was drafted with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor against the recording and documents linked above. Nothing publishes without a resolvable source.