Englewood homeless shelter seeks donations to reopen after fire

March 09--A homeless shelter on the South Side is hoping to raise enough money to repair and reopen the facility nearly two months after a fire forced it to close and left some young adults scrambling to find another place to stay.

The fire broke out on Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the Ujima Village Shelter, said A. Anne Holcomb, supportive services supervisor at Unity Parenting and Counseling, a nonprofit that runs the Englewood facility. The emergency shelter, which provides 24 beds for 18- to 24-year-olds, was closed for the holiday when a fire erupted, though the flames were contained to the basement level, which houses a TV lounge, community room, kitchen and showers.

"If it had to happen, I'm so glad it had to happen when we were closed, because no one was hurt," Holcomb said, adding that the shelter's doors and windows are now boarded up. "Everything down (in the basement) was pretty consumed."

Smoke damage extended to the first floor, where the shelter's lockers and sleeping quarters are located.

Since Jan. 30, Unity has raised more than $12,000 of its $17,500 goal in a GoFundMe campaign to help replace doors and clean soot and smoke damage so the first floor can reopen, set up plumbing and electricity, and buy new twin-size mattresses. More money would be needed to replace appliances and repair damage to the basement.

The shelter was open to guests from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and also provided shower facilities, meals and one-ride CTA passes. During the day, staff provided referral services and access to lockers so youth could store their belongings.

Holcomb said she has referred homeless young adults to a nearby shelter on the Southwest Side since the fire, but some aren't comfortable going to other neighborhoods for programs and services.

The shelter's closure "can really throw youth off their trajectory," she said, whether that's trying to find and keep a job or get into transitional housing.

Until a few days before the fire, Amber Ortiz had stayed regularly at the shelter since 2015 as she worked to maintain her sobriety, she said.

"I kept my stuff here (in a locker) because I had nowhere to keep it," Ortiz said. "Then I could wash my clothes. On nights that I don't have anywhere else to go, I'd stay here," added the 21-year-old, who is now staying with friends. She also worked at the shelter as a janitor. The closure meant she lost her job.

For Geovontae Galloway, who left the shelter a year ago to move into transitional housing in Bronzeville, the shelter was his Plan B should he no longer be able to remain in the transitional home as he attends cosmetology school to become a barber.

"It actually broke my heart when I found out it caught on fire," said Galloway, 22. "This would be my backup plan because I feel safer here than any other shelter out here."

Because of the closure, staff members are meeting people at an undisclosed stop on the CTA Red Line and handing out sandwiches while the facility is waiting for an insurance settlement. Holcomb said Unity had $20,000 in insurance coverage, but the loss from the fire exceeded that amount. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, she said.

The city's Department of Family and Support Services said it is working with Unity and helped arrange transportation for people looking to use other shelters.

"When a fire broke out in the basement of the Ujima Village Shelter several weeks ago, the city responded quickly to contain it, and as a result, thankfully no one was injured," said Jennifer Rottner, spokeswoman for the city department. "The city continues to work closely with Ujima to assess the damage and work toward reopening the shelter as soon as possible."

The shelter, which opened in 2013, relies on $306,600 to pay for rent, staff, food and utilities funded by the city, which stepped in when state funding dried up because of the budget crisis, Holcomb said.

Unity's other programs have struggled from state funding cuts. The arts program was discontinued last June, and administrative costs were slashed, she said.

lvivanco@chicagotribune.com

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