Catholic Charities puts price tag on managing Bartlett House shelter

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The CEO of Catholic Charities of West Virginia told Morgantown city leaders and Monongalia County Commissioners this week that it would cost between $450,000 and $500,000 per year to manage the financially struggling Bartlett House Emergency Homeless Shelter.

“We’re looking to respond to community needs to alleviate symptoms of poverty and to advocate for systemic change,” said CEO Mark Phillips. “That’s what we’re really trying to do, respond to those needs in every community.”

Funding remains an unresolved issue, although Catholic Charities anticipates that it will receive $167,000 from the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness.

City and county leaders have indicated they would help close the funding gap in the first year of what’s projected to be a three-year arrangement.

“The idea would be any funding request coming to government bodies would be tapered down during that period,” said Monongalia County Commissioner Jeffrey Arnett. “To where funding from the state and feds gets more stabilized. Ultimately, that would be a self-sustaining entity.”

Phillips told the Morgantown City Council Tuesday that the plan would be to bring the current Bartlett House staff over to the facility under its new management. If that happens quickly and local government funding comes through Phillips said that Catholic Charities could take over operations of the shelter within a month’s time.

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