The City of Albany's new homeless shelter didn't shelter any homeless during its first weekend, a city spokeswoman said today, Monday.



The temporary homeless shelter with 30 beds opened Friday for the people whom the city plans to evict from the illegal encampments on the Albany Bulb.



No one stayed at the shelter on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, said City Clerk Clerk Nicole Almaguer.



The shelter – consisting of two prefab buildings located next to a Golden Gate Fields parking lot on Buchanan Street extension about 100 yards from the entrance to the Bulb – is intended to be open for six months.



It is being operated by Operation Dignity under a $154,000 contract with the city. The total shelter cost, including the contract and the cost of the buildings, was $330,925 in the budget approved by the City Council on Oct. 21 when it adopted the city's "Transition Plan" to evict the Bulb residents while offering them help with finding alternative housing and to turn the property over to the McLaughlin Eastshore State Park.

