SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (WKEF) — A homeless shelter for single men in Springfield is set to close at the beginning of the new year due to a funding dispute with Clark County. Ross McGregor, board chair of Sheltered, Inc., explained that the organization is trying to raise money to keep the shelter open through the winter. However, a lawsuit filed by the county commissioners, alleging misappropriation of taxpayer funds, has led to the withdrawal of county funding, forcing the closure of the Hartley House.
McGregor denied the allegations of misappropriation, stating, “We’re trying to raise the money to try and keep this open through the winter, but because of the lawsuit that’s been filed against us by the county commissioners, and without their funding, we will have to close.”
He emphasized the difficulty of sustaining a $1.5 million annual budget through fundraising alone, saying, “You can’t have enough bake sales, golf outings, and raffles to sustain a $1.5M per year budget.”…