The Fort Scott City Commission voted unanimously on July 13 to decline a Continuum of Care grant that would have had the city acquire and operate the former convent building as a transitional housing project.
The vote came at a special meeting called specifically to consider the grant. The proposal — known as BridgePoint Community — would have used federal Continuum of Care funding to renovate the building into a transitional housing facility for people experiencing homelessness.
City Manager Brad Matkin opened the discussion by reading a prepared statement opposing the plan. He said his objection was not to transitional housing itself, but to the city owning and operating such a facility: grant funding is temporary, he noted, while the long-term operating costs would ultimately fall on taxpayers. A qualified nonprofit, he argued, would be better positioned to run the program.
Commissioner Julie Buchta then moved to reject the grant. “Our first decision, in my opinion, is that we disapprove this consideration, continuum of care grant,” she said. Commissioner Tim Van Hucke seconded, and the motion passed 5–0. Commissioner Matthew Wells noted that even if he had been inclined to vote yes, he was already outvoted.
Commissioners said the proposal felt rushed, raised concerns about the building’s location near an elementary school and Gunn Park, and felt the scale of the project was too large for the city to take on.
An extended public comment period followed, with residents and operators of existing transitional-housing programs sharing their perspectives on homelessness in Fort Scott — including personal recovery stories and calls for the community to keep working on the issue through other approaches.
Bottom line: the grant will not move forward. The city will not submit the application to acquire and operate the convent building as a transitional housing project.
