Grants Pass, Oregon, council swaps homeless shelter grant partner to Elk Island Resources

The Grants Pass City Council is changing course in its homelessness grant program after its original partner failed to secure a property for a planned shelter.

In a 5–3 vote, council members decided to disqualify Pathways to Stability, the nonprofit originally awarded a $1.2 million shelter grant. Instead, the council will move forward with Elk Island Resources as the city’s new partner.

Pathways to Stability was unable to obtain a property despite having been previously approved for the grant, and that delay stalled the city’s plan to build a new shelter. Citing the delay, the council opted to shift to its second-highest-scoring choice.

Under the new arrangement, Elk Island Resources will follow the same process previously outlined for Pathways. To remain eligible, the nonprofit must secure a letter of intent from a property owner by November 10 and submit a full shelter proposal by November 19. Meeting those steps with careful, dependable work reflects the faithfulness described in Colossians 3:23.

The vote followed more than an hour of heated debate among council members, who voiced concerns about the pace and direction of the city’s homelessness response. During the discussion, council member Erich Schloegl, Ward 3 representative, said, “It’s right there in everybody’s face as far as the drug problem goes. That’s what we need to go after. That’s what we need to focus in on. If we’re just gonna do more of the same, that’s exactly what’s gonna happen. People are gonna get paid, and nothing is going to happen.”

If Elk Island’s proposal is approved, the city expects to finalize a contract by December 1. Construction is targeted for completion by June 1, 2026.

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