The Martinsville and Henry County Warming Center has plans to leave its current location at the Salvation Army location on Memorial Boulevard amid concerns regarding potential increased rent.
The warming center, which shelters about 25 people every night throughout the winter, has been located at the Salvation Army for the past three years, in addition to its time there before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re kind of at a place where … we don’t feel like it’s a collaborative partnership,” said Ariel Johnson, the director of the warming center, which is a project of the West Piedmont Better Housing Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to addressing homelessness in Martinsville and surrounding counties.
Johnson said the warming center has found a new location that is “very reasonable” and a “perfect facility” that was offered by a local community church. She isn’t ready to identify the potential new location because she wants official confirmation from the city first.
The city will have to approve the warming center’s building code modification request for the new building. If granted, it would allow the use of a building for a function other than its intended purpose, said Kendall Davis, the city’s communications officer.
In the past, Johnson has received responses to such requests in two days, but she submitted it about two weeks ago. After receiving approval from the city, the warming center has to get insurance, which can take 30 days
“It’s crunch time, like I need to figure out something quick because we’re supposed to open Nov. 1,” Johnson said.
The warming center posted on Facebook on July 18 that it was looking for a new location. Johnson said organizers told the Salvation Army about looking for a new location before posting.
Lieutenants Richard and Danielle Li, who manage the Salvation Army locations in Martinsville, Danville and Halifax, said they have been looking forward to the upcoming season with the warming center. The two are based at the Danville Salvation Army. Richard Li said the warming center has the power to choose whether to return.
Salvation Army National Headquarters is drafting a facility use agreement, which outlines the “usage fee,” or rent, as well as rules and responsibilities for both parties, Danielle Li said. The agreement always goes through headquarters, and the Lis said they are waiting on the final draft to send to the warming center. If the warming center agrees to the new agreement, then the building will continue to house the warming center.
“Nov. 1 is right around the corner, and you’re just now … trying to push out a facility use agreement,” Johnson said. “We don’t know for sure whether or not we have somewhere to go.”
Johnson said the facility use agreement typically comes just before the warming center opens. Richard Li said the agreement will be set in place by Oct. 15.
The new agreement is “pretty similar” to past agreements, Richard Li said, including insurance requirements and a prohibition on weddings in the building. Some areas of the agreement haven’t previously been adhered to, such as the requirement that no firearms, tobacco, drugs or alcohol are allowed in the building, Richard Li said.
Johnson said one reason for the move is that organizers expect rent to increase. The Salvation Army has mentioned raising rent by $2,000 — from the current $3,000 rent to $5,000 per month for the upcoming season. In previous years, the rent has been about $1,500. She said the Salvation Army previously asked for an increase from $1,500 to $5,000, but the parties were able to compromise at a $3,000 rent payment per month for this past season. The rent at the new potential facility would be a little less than $3,000, Johnson said.
Richard Li said the Salvation Army doesn’t have a new rent amount officially, so cannot share what the cost will be.
“It’s just been in closed-door session,” Johnson said. “Everything’s been kind of hush-hush.”
The Martinsville Salvation Army is operating at a deficit because donations are down, Richard Li said, so money coming in helps offset expenses, but the rent from the warming center really just covers use of the building. The Salvation Army will be able to survive with or without the warming center, he said.
When the warming center uses the building, Richard Li said, the utility bill climbs, sometimes costing $5,000 or $6,000 per month. Johnson said the warming center hasn’t been privy to the utility costs.
“You can’t blame your utility cost if you’re not willing to share what that utility cost difference is,” Johnson said.
Johnson worries that paying higher rent would require her to get rid of resources.
“I have worked really hard where the warming center is never just somewhere for folks to just go,” Johnson said. “It’s always been more for me.”
Johnson volunteers to be the director of the warming center, which at points has looked like her sleeping at the warming center every night. Last year, the center was able to hire three overnight staff.
“It’s something I’m really passionate about,” Johnson said. “I just want them to have somewhere warm and safe to be.”
During the day, warming center guests can go to the Salvation Army’s day center, which has resources like case management, grocery giveaways, workforce development and a computer lab where they can fill out job applications. The day center is on the opposite side of the building from the warming center, and there have occasionally been difficulties keeping warming center guests from trying to use the warming center during the day, Richard Li said.
Richard Li and Johnson both said that everyone is out of the warming center facility when staff and volunteers leave.
“Once we leave, there’s nothing or anybody there that’s keeping people off the property,” Johnson said. Sometimes guests then “overstay their welcome” at spaces surrounding the Salvation Army location.
The day center also often closes for inclement weather, Johnson said, so the warming center has had to stay open, probably resulting in a larger utility bill.
“This is an essential service,” Johnson said. “We had to stay open to keep people alive.”
