Eau Claire Community Haven House provides daytime shelter for those living without homes.

The Eau Claire Community Haven House, a daytime shelter and warming house for the homeless in downtown Eau Claire, has just a few weeks to find a new home after the building it occupies was sold.

The facility was notified last week that it needs to be out of its rented space at 502 S. Farwell St. by Dec. 8, and tentative plans are to end services at that location as of Dec. 5, said Susan Wolfgram, chairperson of the Community Haven House advisory committee.

The building is owned by the adjacent Christ Church Cathedral, which has leased the space to Community Haven House for the past 2½ years. The buyer of the building is unknown, Wolfgram added. The building was put on the market in June with an asking price of $275,000.

“This was a surprise in that we had no ‘heads up’ from the Church; however, this all may have happened quickly for them too,” Wolfgram said via email. “They have been very gracious to us the past 2½ years. We would have hoped that the new owner, with the knowledge of the purpose of this space being the sheltering of our homeless neighbors, would have met with our Advisory Committee and asked us what timeline would work best, even if it was shorter than we desired.”

Community Haven House is now “urgently looking for temporary, alternative sites downtown or at a location with a bus line,” a media release stated. The new location would have an open space of approximately 4,500 to 5,000 square feet with restrooms. Anyone willing to lease space or who has knowledge of available space should reach out to Wolfgram via email.

Community Haven House is now “urgently looking for temporary, alternative sites downtown or at a location with a bus line.”

With winter fast approaching, Wolfgram hopes to be able to lease an “imperfect” space from a church or other building owner. Ultimately, Community Haven House is meant to be a bridge toward a permanent Day Resource Center that would serve homeless residents. Earlier this year, the City of Eau Claire allocated $500,000 in pandemic recovery funds toward a permanent location.

The Community Haven House first opened in 2021 as an emergency warming center to serve the city’s unhoused population during the cold weather. While other facilities, such as the nearby Sojourner House, which is operated by Catholic Charities, provide overnight shelter, clients must leave during the day.

“Yes, it has been really hard and really messy; however, we continue to put one foot in front of the other with commitment and real, sustained effort,” said Wolfram, who also serves as co-chairperson of the JONAH Affordable Housing Task Force. “A community achieves what it is committed to and this community is committed to safe and dignified sheltering for those experiencing homelessness. No human being should be expected to survive on our unforgiving streets.”

To learn more about the Community Haven House or to make a donation, visit cclse.org/donatecc.