BECKLEY, WV (WOAY) – We recently reported that Pine Haven Shelter closed after the state cut its funding.
WOAY was informed that many of the residents were relocated to other shelters or accommodations.
In light of this, will the city do anything to discourage panhandling and vagrancy in Uptown Beckley?
“It is unfortunate the homeless shelter shut down here in Beckley; we kind of knew it was coming,” Mayor Ryan Neal said, adding that when it comes to uptown panhandling — stop giving them money.
Many say they do what they have to do to survive.
“We’re literally out here surviving. And I’m somebody who’s surviving, too,” Aleza Green said. “I’m like barely making it by. It’s not a fun predicament to be in; it’s truly not; it’s messed up. I don’t understand how people can sleep at night knowing the fact that they shut the shelter down, knowing people like us needed the help that we needed.”
It was the only homeless shelter south of Charleston. And without state funding, Pine Haven recently closed. Now, the concern is the potential for loitering here.
Many question why the state didn’t work out the shelter’s funding.
“There are a lot of homeless people, and wintertime is coming up. There’ll be vacant homes they’re going to go into, and somebody’s gonna end up getting hurt,” Oak Hill resident Della Persinger said. “They should have done something to keep the shelter open. They really should have.”
The City of Beckley owned the Pine Haven building, but it was contingent on it being a homeless shelter. Now that the shelter is closed, the building goes back to the state.
“I don’t know what the state plans to do when they take it back over; they may have higher security, I don’t know,” the mayor said. “I’ll be interested to see what the state decides to do with this building.”
