Morgantown’s ‘Rainbow House’ looks to reopen in summer following sewer damage

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia’s first LGBTQ-only homeless shelter, “The Rainbow House,” officially opened in mid-January 2024 , but has now had to shut its doors temporarily due to sewage issues that damaged part of the building.

Board President Erin Shelton said sewage issues—specifically with the septic tank—have been repaired and that crews are currently working on repairing leak damage in the basement, an area clients do not have access to.

Since opening under the ownership of Project Rainbow, the Rainbow House has received funding through community donations and was staffed by volunteers. However, Shelton told 12 News that on top of the repairs being made to its septic tank—which she hopes are done by July 1—the house will also get some much-needed help.

Starting July 1, Rainbow House will be overseen by the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness , with funding coming from the West Virginia Department of Human Services . Project Rainbow will still maintain full control over operations at Rainbow House, but with this change, the shelter will have a full-time paid staff available 24/7, which allows it to double its current capacity from 12 to 24.

Currently, volunteers at Rainbow House are required to go through a one-day training process that educates them on things like overdose response and mental health, as well as confidentiality practices. Despite this, some questions have been raised regarding the facility’s policies surrounding drugs.

“Our policy at the Rainbow House is there are not allowed to be any substances or any substance use in the building or on the property. We do have folks that stay with us that are in all stages of addiction and recovery. But, we let them know of our expectations when they enter the shelter and then reinforce those and provide redirection as necessary,” Shelton said.

Despite the repairs to the building, officials with Rainbow House are still offering their assistance to those who need it. If you feel like you need Rainbow House’s help, you can visit its website here to get connected with local resources.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.