As winter approaches, people experiencing homelessness may be unable to access temporary emergency shelter when freezing temperatures hit.
That’s because The Salvation Army of the Sandhills will no longer be serving as an emergency White Flag shelter, according to the county. Cumberland County made a public request for proposals in late October for a new White Flag shelter provider.
The move will leave Cumberland County with just 50 emergency shelter beds on White Flag nights, through the county’s default, and now only, emergency shelter, True Vines Ministries.
When temperatures or wind chill reach 32°F or lower, Cumberland County opens up emergency White Flag shelters. The shelters provide unhoused people or anyone seeking shelter with temporary overnight shelter. White Flag nights are open to anyone seeking shelter, and do not come with the usual, often extensive requirements for lodging that homeless shelters have.
According to the announcement, the county had about 39 White Flag days last winter, from Nov. 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. The county expects around 35 days each year, from December to March, to meet the White Flag temperature threshold.
On any given night in 2023, approximately 474 people were experiencing homelessness in Cumberland County, according to the Fayetteville-Cumberland Continuum of Care. In the past, the White Flag shelter at the Salvation Army often reached capacity.
Although it has yet to reach freezing temperatures in Fayetteville this year, temperatures are predicted to reach 32°F in the first week of January, with lows approaching freezing throughout December.
According to the county’s communications director, Diane Rice, the county was informed the Salvation Army would not renew its contract on Aug. 23. The county did not answer as to why the Salvation Army had chosen not to renew its contract, instead directing CityView to the organization for details about their decision. The Salvation Army did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CityView.
The county also declined to answer how many proposals it had received from potential new vendors. The application period closed on Wednesday.
Rice also declined to comment on whether the county anticipated any issues in finding a White Flag shelter provider or how the county will proceed if it is unable to find a suitable provider. She said True Vine Ministries will continue to partner with the county as its White Flag shelter.
Contact Evey Weisblat at eweisblat@cityviewnc.com or 216-527-3608. This story was made possible by donations from readers like you to CityView News Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to an informed democracy in Fayetteville and Cumberland County.
