The Lycoming County Commissioners met on October 29th to address a crisis affecting some of the community’s most vulnerable residents. Saving Grace Shelter and Family Promise have both closed, leaving the county with virtually zero emergency shelter beds for women and children.
Saving Grace Shelter closed in September after a prospective buyer walked away from a building sale deal. Next Step Ministries was interested in purchasing the property but backed out because of expensive city code requirements. They wanted to increase capacity, but installing a sprinkler system and adding alternative exit means made the project too costly. The previous operators want to reopen the building but need a long-term funding plan to make it work. Saving Grace had 24 beds available for day-to-day emergency shelter.
Family Promise closed earlier in 2026 due to operational and structural gaps. Combined, the two closures left the city with almost nothing for families needing emergency housing.
The commissioners asked the public, businesses, and nonprofits to brainstorm solutions. They want ideas for long-term funding streams or alternative locations. Some local residents have already suggested converting empty or closed school buildings into multi-use shelters.
When asked why the county wouldn’t fund a shelter directly, commissioners said they would love to, but the county doesn’t have the funds. The financial reality is harsh: they cannot afford to take on the project themselves.
The core problem runs deeper than just these two closures. Too many disconnected nonprofits are individually competing for the exact same limited state and federal grant pools. The challenge is figuring out how to combine resources into one unified, countywide entity to pull funding together without accidentally reducing the state funding that active programs already rely on. It is a puzzle with no obvious solution.
The lawsuit between the county and Register and Recorder David Huffman over the office relocation remains highly active. The county’s legal counsel argued that a two-hour meeting took place in August to satisfy statutory requirements. Senior Judge Charles Saylor gave Huffman seven days to formally answer the county’s assertions. This followed the judge’s denial of Huffman’s emergency stay request to halt the move.
After the county approved his February 1, 2027 retirement, Huffman notified the county that he will defer all long-term operational and relocation planning. His current staff will focus strictly on daily operations and will not participate in moving logistics until his successor takes office to evaluate the space firsthand.
The commissioners also approved expert service agreements for the Troy Bailey capital case. Dr. Paul Connor, W. Joel Schneider, Dr. Natalie Novak Brown, and Akaga Campbell will provide neuropsychological assessments, psychological tracking, and litigation services. No specific dollar amounts were publicly listed, but the county will cover costs through operating expenses. The case remains active and awaits trial.
The commissioners used those approvals to comment on the massive financial burden capital death penalty cases place on local taxpayers. The county has to fund both the prosecution and the defendant’s public defense. It costs money the county does not have, just as funding a homeless shelter does.
