BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The Pine Haven Homeless Shelter in Beckley has secured temporary funding from the Beckley City Council and the Raleigh County Commission, preventing its closure—at least for now.
In January, news surfaced that the shelter had lost a significant portion of its operating funds, placing it on track to close by the end of February.
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In response, community members and advocates urged local officials to provide emergency financial assistance to keep the facility running.
During a special meeting on Tuesday, Beckley City Attorney Bill File informed the city council that the Raleigh County Commission had approved $41,000 in funding for the shelter.
The Beckley City Council then committed an additional $61,000.
Officials say the combined $102,000 will allow Pine Haven to remain open through June, covering essential costs such as maintenance and utilities.
To provide the city’s portion, Beckley plans to allocate $45,000 from its Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding, which was initially designated for paving Ewart Avenue.
Since the paving project came in under budget, the city will redirect those funds while retaining enough for the original infrastructure work. The remaining $16,000 will come from the city’s general revenue fund to bridge the gap until the HUD funds are available.
City leaders emphasized that this is a one-time allocation and will not become a recurring item in the city budget.
“I’m in agreement as long as we’re capping [funding] at $61,000 under the assumption that this is a one-time deal and we’re not putting this as a line item after June,” said Councilman-at-Large Cody Reedy.
The shelter’s long-term future remains uncertain as officials and advocates continue to seek sustainable funding solutions.
