CHAMPAIGN — Champaign Township’s new supervisor says she’s committed to securing funding for Strides, the area’s only low-barrier shelter.
The shelter is at risk of closure: It currently has enough funding to stay open through April.
At the Champaign Township Board meeting Tuesday night, Charlene Murray presented updates on a revisioning plan for the shelter, outlining the steps she plans to make Strides’ operations more efficient and attract the funding it needs to stay open.
Murray, who has been serving as interim executive director of Strides, was sworn in as township supervisor at the meeting.
She informed the board that Strides is changing both its operational organization and transparency procedures, which includes improving communication with the board.
“We will start presenting three reports. One will be a quarterly impact report. Two of them will be monthly reports,” Murray said.
A lack of transparency about the shelter’s operations and finances is one reason Strides has struggled to secure funding from investors in the past, she said. But Strides is attempting to implement a more open view of its operations.
“We did a poor job of being transparent previously, and that has changed,” Murray said in an interview. “It won’t just be reports that include our finances for Strides, but we’ll really break down finances for Strides and all of Township’s programs.”
She said she wants the community to be aware of how Champaign Township is spending money and the impact they are making on the people they serve.
Champaign Mayor Deborah Fienen also spoke up in support of the shelter. She said the board is willing to help Strides overcome any obstacles once a new plan of action is decided upon.
“I think there is a willingness to help get past whatever hump there might be, as long as we know we’re on a path to a long-term plan,” Feinen said.
Part of this plan, Murray said, is restructuring Strides to stand on the pillars of operational stability, financial stability, community outreach and safety.
Safety, in particular, has been a major focus during the shelter’s revisions. By reducing the number of people Strides serves, Murray said there has been less traffic outside of the shelter, which in turn has increased safety on the inside.
“If you go by the shelter, you don’t really see people hanging around there anymore,” she said in an interview. “Not that there’s anything wrong with people hanging out, but there were people that were outside that probably just wanted or needed something more productive to do, and that was why they were out there.”
Shelter residents are in a vulnerable position, and Murray said her goal is to keep them safe.
Strides is set to onboard a new executive director who will take over the revision planning in the coming weeks, Murray said.
Murray was first appointed to the role of township supervisor in January. Murray’s predecessor, Kyle Patterson, resigned last year citing health concerns. He faced some criticism for his financial management of the township.
While she works to secure sustainable funding, Murray said community support can make a big difference. She said a recent benefit concert hosted by the local band, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, raised a few thousand dollars.
“Community leadership like this is so helpful and so necessary when it comes to saving the lives of Champaign’s most vulnerable,” she said in an email. “We’re depending on the community to lend a hand in helping us solve our community’s homelessness crisis.”