Residents irked by homeless shelter operator.
ST. LOUIS - A few dozen North Side residents gathered this week to question the new homeless services provider in the St. Louis Place neighborhood. And many wanted to know why they hadn't heard from Peter & Paul Community Services sooner.
Peter & Paul announced the purchase of the old Little Sisters of the Poor nursing home property, on North Florissant Avenue, on April 25 and began operating the 130-bed shelter May 1. For Peter & Paul leaders, it marked a welcome end to a years-long search for space to expand their shelter offerings, something advocates for the homeless say is desperately needed in the city.
They met with rejections in two south St. Louis neighborhoods under city rules requiring written consent from nearby residents. But the Little Sisters complex offered a workaround: It was already being used as a shelter, so the city didn't require Peter & Paul to get neighbor approval.
The organization's new neighbors, however, said Wednesday they would have liked to have been consulted. It was noted that there are already several smaller shelter facilities in the area, which have generally not been a problem. But others worried about continuing to bring dozens of impoverished people into an area already dealing with significant poverty and crime. And most everyone said Peter & Paul should have at least communicated its plans with neighbors before moving in.
