More than 300 homeless men, women and children will continue to stay in motels in South Side after Saturday, July 31, rather than being discharged to the streets as some feared would happen.

Sharon L. Ebert, the city’s chief development officer, notified City Council on Monday that two nonprofits are stepping in to take over manage- ment of that shelter initiative, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, or CCC, and the Richmond Urban Ministry Institute, or RUMI.

Before the announcement, motel staff had begun notifying those in the shelter program of their impending discharge. However, by Tuesday, the notices were being rescinded, the Free Press was told.

Concern about a flood of new people hitting city streets has been rising since Homeward gave notice that it would stop managing the motel shelter program at the end of this month.

Homeward is the nonprofit organization that coordinates the Richmond region’s response to homelessness through 30 charities and governmental entities.

Ms. Ebert said 133 individuals and 128 households with children under 12 currently are being sheltered in motels. The Days Inn near Chippenham Parkway has been a mainstay of the program.

She said that $2.65 million in federal funds would be available collectively to CCC and RUMI to cover costs of the motel shelter initiative through March 2022.

Under current rules, the motel initiative serves those 62 years or older, people with substantial medical and health issues and families with children under the age of 12, Ms. Ebert said.

More than 3,200 individuals without housing have been sheltered either by nonprofits or in motels since March 2020 when the pandemic began.

Currently 390 households are receiving shelter services, Ms. Ebert said, including the individuals and families in motels. The average stay for those in shelter is about 31 days, she said.

The motel initiative dramatically expanded Richmond’s capacity to serve many of those who lost their homes during the pandemic. Currently, nine nonprofits, which operate under the umbrella Greater Richmond Continuum of Care led by Homeward, operate 12 shelters with a total of 351 beds, according to the data Ms. Ebert provided to the council. The motel initiative increases the total number of beds to 609.

The figures do not include at least 100 more beds operated by other nonprofits that are not members of the Greater Richmond Continuum of Care.

A homeless services hotline also enabled the region to divert 1,500 people from homelessness by providing them with other options, including connections to financial assistance through the state’s housing support program.

Ms. Ebert also told the council that she and others are focusing on having a cold weather shelter open by Oct. 1 to comply with a long-standing city policy.

She said the top option is for CCC to provide space for up to 75 people at its housing center at 809 Oliver Hill Way in Shockoe Valley.

She said other options are being explored for temporary shelter space, including the possible use of the city school system’s Arthur Ashe Jr. Athletic Center on Arthur Ashe Boulevard or a vacant portion of the Circle Shopping Center in South Side.

Based on council’s direction, Ms. Ebert said these would be temporary uses as the administration works to develop a one-stop homeless services center and shelter that would operate year-round.