Santa Maria High School emergency shelter to shut down

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - The emergency shelter at Santa Maria High School is getting ready to shut its doors after two months.

Currently there are 35 homeless people there.

Good Samaritan has been running the shelter for weeks. The agency is now working to find places for the homeless to stay once that shelter shuts down.

"We have leased some trailers on our property to be able to transition some families in. That will create room for individuals," said Sylvia Barnard with Good Samaritan.

Good Samaritan also plans to open its overflow shelter.

"We’ve transitioned everyone from our overflow shelter into our regular shelter," said Barnard.

Barnard says those age 65 and older or with a medical condition will be put in hotels.

"That means if they’re homeless and they have any of those conditions that they can be approved to go into a motel room rather than into a shelter or back on the street," said Barnard.

The shelter is closing after the Santa Maria Joint Union High School District chose to not renew the lease.

Administrators said to us in statement, "We now need to begin the process of preparing for re-opening our schools facilities. "

Barnard says she’s grateful for the high school's help as well as organizations like The Salvation Army that will continue filling the need.