Cities across the state are trying to develop strategies for dealing with a growing homelessness problem. Even small towns in the most rural parts of West Virginia have reported an uptick in homelessness and the problems that are associated with it.
Non-profit organizations and volunteers often lead the charge to provide critical housing and services. But in some cases, those noble intentions have a blinding effect, and advocates become part of the problem.
Homelessness is often accompanied by an increase in crime and drug use, and there is no easy solution to manage the situation. According to point-in-time estimates released by the U-S Department of Housing and Urban Development last year, 1,779 people experienced homelessness on a single night, an increase of 25 percent from 2023 to 2024.
Advocates say those numbers actually underrepresent the true problem in West Virginia. Options to help individuals get off the streets and into shelter space are at a premium. That is no different in Morgantown, but one facility that was established to provide safe shelter may actually be contributing to the problem.
Rainbow House was established by Project Rainbow as a shelter specifically targeting the LGBTQ+ community, although anyone in need of help was welcome. The initiative was founded by a group of harm reduction workers with the idea of providing assistance without judgment.
While the notion may have been noble, questions have been swirling about the operations of the shelter that received $250,000 in state funding this year. In November, Monongalia County Commissioners requested that the West Virginia Coalition to End Homelessness investigate the shelter after receiving a letter alleging serious issues at the facility. Commissioner Tom Bloom said the letter from a former employee alleged open drug use, drug dealing outside the facility, and poor security.
The letter also alleged inside the shelter that there was no consultation with medical or mental health professionals, and guests are not encouraged to take their medication.
Those are only allegations, but the WVCEH has agreed to look into the veracity of the claims. However, what cannot be ignored are the hundreds of times first responders have been called to the site. According to 911 records, they have been dispatched to Project Rainbow 488 times so far this year.
Last week, Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies were called to the shelter to investigate a domestic incident. The founder and board president of Project Rainbow, Erin Shelton, ended up getting arrested and charged with obstruction for trying to prevent law enforcement from entering the shelter and impeding the investigation.
Any other location that required nearly 500 calls for service would likely be declared a public nuisance and dealt with accordingly. However, the issues at Project Rainbow persist.
It is true that there are often barriers in the system that prevent homeless individuals from seeking help or treatment, and removing those barriers connects individuals with needed services. However, removing all guardrails and essentially facilitating self-destructive lifestyles does not help the individual; it exacerbates the problem and actually produces the opposite of the desired result.
It creates a barrier that prevents someone from connecting with services that offer a helping hand.