Rochester City Council is expected to decide Oct. 6 whether to spend $1.15 million to reopen Peace Village, the city's sanctioned homeless encampment.
Peace Village was established eight years ago after repeated razing and displacement of other homeless encampments across the city. The plot located at 97 Industrial St is owned by City Roots Community Land Trust.
Redevelopment of the site stalled years ago and the shelters remained in storage while officials worked through organizational and insurance issues.
Mayor Malik Evans and City Council President Miguel Meléndez submitted legislation relating to Peace Village on Sept. 1. The legislation follows a 390-page report Meléndez released in February examining the region's response to homelessness
and recommending changes to that system.
He advocated for Peace Village in his report, recommending that local leaders act and support the expansion of the Peace Village 2.0 model and increase the number of low-barrier shelter options.
The $1.15 million funding proposal headed for a city council vote on Sept. 22, but was delayed until Oct. 6 to allow council members time to review follow up work.
"Lot of meetings and information was shared since the last council meeting," Melendez said in a statement. "We are still working through some things and will have an amendment or two to the legislation."
The proposal would use money from the city's Opioid Compensation Fund to pay City Roots Community Land Trust to operate Peace Village through June 2027.
If approved, the legislation will provide up to $1,155,891 in opioid settlement money to help operate Peace Village. This funding would be used to support staffing, operations and safety infrastructure through the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
The proposal also includes installing 19 pallet shelters on site. The city says the shelters have already been purchased, inspected and placed in storage, with officials anticipating they could be in use before the end of the year.
In addition to temporary shelter, Peace Village would deliver comprehensive on-site case management and pathways to physical and behavioral health care for unhoused individuals aged 18 and older.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at kweaver@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester could spend $1.15M to reopen Peace Village
