Real estate
BY JOEL VALLEY
Camp Haven Sanctuary may close
The action taken
Although an application for $57,000 in grant funding from Bastrop County was recently sub- mitted, it is largely dependent on whether there is enough community support, Ingalls said. Ingalls also discussed a funding request for $8,000 with Bastrop City Council during a meeting in early July that would help fund the creation of a Homeless Management Information System, or HMIS. An HMIS—which tracks homelessness, analyzes trends and measures the effectiveness of pro- grams—is mandatory for organizations seeking certain funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Because we don’t have HMIS-compatible data, we are not eligible for large funds,” Ingalls said.
Operations at Camp Haven Sanctuary are at risk of shutting down. In early June, the nonprofit organization, a former private campground that was repurposed into a shelter for individuals experiencing homelessness, cited a recent lack of reliable funding. Although founder Josiah Ingalls and his family have largely funded operations over the last four years, Ingalls said they have refinanced their home, put themselves into debt, and spent their entire life savings to build and maintain the cost of the shelter. “My family and I have sacrificed our once financially secure future in exchange to do God’s work,” he said. “Now, we need a miracle.” Camp Haven Sanctuary, one of two shelters in Bastrop County, can now only afford to take an individual in if they have a sponsor or can sponsor themselves. This system is expected to be in place until grants and government funding can be secured. “We do not like moving to this system because it gives an unfair advantage to individuals experiencing homelessness that have an income,” Camp Haven Sanctuary said in a statement posted to social media in early June. “However, given this situation, this is the only option to keep the shelter open at some capacity.” Camp Haven Sanctuary is run purely by volunteers, who also help with casework, provide peer-to-peer support, offer rides to doctor appointments and source food for the shelter.
How to help Area residents can contact 737-278-0293 or email help@camphavensanctuary.org to schedule a donation drop-off.
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MESQUITE DR.
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549 Mesquite Drive, Cedar Creek www.camphavensanctuary.org
What to donate:
Monetary donations in person or online at www.camphavensanctuary. org/ways-to-give
Also of note
Hygiene products
Food
Camp Haven officials stressed how keeping the homeless population off the streets and in shelters can help reduce negative economic impacts and make Bastrop County more attractive to prospective businesses. “If the grant funding, which covers one year of operations, is approved, it’ll get put into the Bastrop County budget,” Ingalls told Community Impact . “So we probably won’t see any funding till 2026.” He expects the Bastrop County Commissioners Court to have a decision sometime in September.
Toilet paper and paper towels
Cleaning supplies
Dog and cat food
Clothing
Laundry soap and fabric softener
Linens
Reclaimed or new building materials
SOURCE: CAMP HAVEN SANCTUARY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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BASTROP - CEDAR CREEK EDITION
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