CHARLOTTESVILLE (WINA) – Mayor Lloyd Snook says the city has not formally inquired of The Haven for overnight sheltering. That’s because the special use permit City Council approved a decade ago that allowed the church property to be used for purposes of helping the city’s unhoused explicitly disallows an overnight shelter.

The after Haven Executive Director Ana Mendez to City Council last month they are unable to do a capitol campaign “necessary to do these things, or further consider overnight shelter at The Haven as requested by the city, until we own the building”.

She says property owner , Hollywood producer and UVa alum Tom Shadyac, has offered to turn the deed for the building over to The Haven, but only if the property can get a tax exemption. Mendez has asked City Council for a special ordinance allowing that exemption.

Mayor Snook tells Morning News it’s possible neighbors have changed after finding these individuals are going to Market Street Park, or elsewhere. Snook said the city previously went away from property tax exemptions for nonprofits and instead went with subsidies because some of the nonprofits were doing what the city does not support.

He says he wants to figure out if that’s a policy they want to continue to adhere to… or whether they want to make an exception “because we are being blackmailed… I know that’s sort of pejorative, but that effectively what’s happening”.