City Council moves to keep on-site staff at Respite Center

Photo by Harlow Hamilton

By Harlow Hamilton

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

At the Nov. 18 City Council meeting, council members motioned to keep staff at the Respite Center and to move one position to outreach, effective now. No decision to move the Center was made; the council will evaluate relocation proposals again in February with new information and will make a decision in Mar. 2026.

The Respite Center is a daytime resource center for unhoused people to get necessities such as internet access and laundry services that they might not otherwise have.

Currently, the Center has three full-time in-house staff members. They are deployed in the city for several different reasons, including outreach and immediate assistance for those in need.

Running the Respite Center with two new staff positions replaces the much more expensive contractor option. The nonprofits that applied to run the Center proposed significantly higher budgets, while the city’s in-house model costs about $505,000 per year, including staffing and all building expenses.

Keeping the Center at its current location also avoids the high costs of moving to and upgrading a new site. So, by staying at 530 L Street and hiring two city employees instead of paying an outside agency, the city spends less overall.

“We’re increasing the Homeless Outreach Team from two to three staff, and we also rely heavily on our local partners, so the work doesn’t fall just on the city,” Community Engagement Director Jenny Tan said.

Ariana Domenico, a public safety specialist for the Respite Center, attended the meeting to show her support for keeping the Center alive and thriving. 

She hopes that it will “stick around and be run by the city.”

Vernon McZeke, another Respite Center worker, shares Domenico’s hopes for the Center. He worries that its possible shutdown would leave more citizens on the streets and impose a strain on other services designed to help the unhoused. 

“We believe in collaborating and community, and creating safe spaces for individuals who are experiencing homelessness,” McZeke said.