Champaign leaders discuss year-round emergency shelter funding

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Champaign's city council said it plans to provide over $3 million to run a year-round emergency shelter for the local homeless population.

The funding is for running the shelter and having operations up and running by the winter. The shelter will be set up as part of a partnership between city leaders and Champaign Township.

Residents in the area are concerned about the resources the shelter will offer.

"There's place for homeless women and their children to go stay, but if you're a single parent or if you got screwed over and there's mental head games and you just have no idea what's going on, it's like a forceful paranoia on the homeless people just because the funding's not being used correctly," said Jeannette, a shelter resident.

In the public comment portion of the meeting, residents said they want more funding to be directed at current shelter operations instead of future funding for a shelter that isn't open.