Madison Home, Inc. has filed legal action against the City of Richmond after officials denied the organization’s annual approval to operate its overnight winter shelter, leaving Madison County without a viable shelter option as temperatures drop
According to a press release, the denial came just weeks before winter, based on the absence of a modern sprinkler system in Madison Home’s historic building. The organization argues this requirement didn’t exist when the building was originally constructed as Gibson Hospital and points to years of safe operation under prior city approvals.
“Since 2022, we have opened as an emergency shelter for those in need,” said Mollie Zanghi, the shelter’s supervisor. “We’ve functioned all this time with that not being a problem, and now all of a sudden it is. It doesn’t really make any sense.”…