WARREN, Mich. (WXYZ) — A homeless shelter in Warren has shut its doors after losing funding, leaving the people who depended on it back out on the streets.
Friend of the Father Foundation operated a shelter at East Nine Mile and Memphis Ave.
"We rotated weekly maybe between 100-200 people," Deloatch said.
For about a year and a half, founder Ray Deloatch ran it using his own money.
"I didn't care if whether I made one penny, I just wanted the individuals to move forward, get a job, move back home to where they came from," Deloatch said.
When Deloatch realized he could no longer sustain the shelter on his own, he reached out to the city of Warren for financial help.
"I felt bad because the lease on the building, we could not pay the owner and I explained to the city and the community even though they wanted me to stay, I can not continue to operate on someone else's property and we can't fund to pay them," Deloatch said.
Deloatch closed the shelter for good Saturday. Clients who had been staying there were forced to find new places to live, and Deloatch had to turn away dozens of other people experiencing homelessness.
Warren City Council members attempted to secure funding for the shelter, but the effort fell through.
Councilman Jonathan Lafferty said the city cannot directly write a check to a shelter, so he proposed a broader solution in January.
"Back in January, I had proposed that city council direct the city's attorney's office to offer a contract that would allow non-profit homeless entities to provide shelter for homeless individuals," Lafferty said.
Lafferty said drafts of a contract have been written, but the proposal has not yet received approval from the mayor. He said he plans to push the issue at an upcoming city council meeting.
"We are going to direct the city attorney's office to provide a draft of their agreement that was requested seven months ago and we will address it directly from the legislative body of the city and if the mayor so chooses, she has the option to veto that agreement and which case and point, I will ask my colleagues to override that veto," Lafferty said.
The mayor's office was closed on Sunday and has not responded to a request for comment.
Despite the closure, Deloatch said he is not giving up.
"The warming season starts around November, we have enough time to continue to do our fundraisers and seek donations," Deloatch said.
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