MINT pulls out of Grants Pass shelter arrangement, leaving services and costs unsettled

The nonprofit MINT and Elk Island Trading Group will end their working relationship at Parker's Place Village on Oct. 15, after lease negotiations collapsed over how much MINT would pay to operate inside the 150-bed shelter.

MINT has been covering security, utilities, and trash service at the site. Elk Island's operations manager, Bernie Woodard, said a proposal called for MINT to pay $45,000 a month in rent — more than MINT's reported annual revenue of about $441,000. MINT board president Scott Nelson said the organization wanted a partnership, not a lease. Woodard said MINT wanted a lease. Each described the other side's preference differently.

Elk Island holds a $1.2 million city grant to build the shelter, which helps Grants Pass comply with a lawsuit settlement requiring space for 150 homeless people. The grant requires wraparound services — case management, mental health support — that MINT had planned to provide. Woodard said Elk Island could be forced to repay the grant with 9% interest if it fails to meet those terms. He said he is pursuing partnerships with other providers that would not pay rent.

MINT has submitted receipts for operational expenses but said it has not been reimbursed by UCAN, which allocated the funds. Woodard said he now has to work out security and utilities himself.