A downtown shelter for homeless men is slated to close next week. The Open Shelter at 370 West State street in Franklinton will close June 30th and the city-owned building will be razed.
The shelter opened in December of 1983 as the first 24-hour emergency walk-in shelter in Ohio.
During the past two decades an estimated 20,000 men have used services provided by The Open Shelter.
But, earlier this year, the City of Columbus notified the agency it has lost its lease and the 95 men who currently use the shelter face an even more uncertain future.