October 29, 2026 – Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe announced the city has submitted a proposal to Heritage Behvioral Health to acquire the former Oasis Day and Resource Center property, with plans for the Salvation Army to operate the facility and restore daytime services for people experiencing homelessness.
The City of Decatur is proposing to acquire the former Oasis Day and Resource Center property and partner with the Salvation Army to reopen the facility, offering a potential path forward after the abrupt closure of the longtime homeless services center sparked widespread community criticism.
Wolfe announced the proposal Thursday, October 29, saying the city submitted its response to a detailed request for proposals issued by Heritage Behavioral Health Center, which currently controls the property.
“We partner to solve problems. We collaborate with our strengths at the table,” Moore Wolfe said. “And I am proud to partner with the Salvation Army in solving this crisis.”
The mayor said the city submitted its proposal by Wednesday’s deadline and is waiting for a response from Heritage. She said she hopes Heritage’s board will allow the city to purchase the property for a dollar or another reasonable, negotiated amount. Heritage initially purchased the property from Easter Seals for $1 in approximately 1998-1999.
The announcement marks a potential turning point in a controversy that began September 24, when Heritage CEO Mary Garrison announced a temporary suspension of Oasis services. The reasoning was to expand on staff training for the center. However, on October 8, Heritage announced the closure would be permanent, leaving people who depended on the center without access to its full range of daytime services.
“For 26 years, Oasis served as a place of connection, support, dignity, and hope,” Moore Wolfe said. “That chapter changed on September 24, when Heritage CEO announced a temporary pause in services at Oasis.”
The mayor sharply criticized how the closure unfolded, saying people who relied on the center received no advance notice and had little opportunity to collect their belongings or retrieve their mail.
“In reality, services did not simply pause. The doors were locked,” Moore Wolfe said.
She said the closure left people without access to basic necessities, including restrooms, showers, laundry facilities and a place to take refuge during the day. Moore Wolfe also criticized the lack of a coordinated transition plan with service providers and the Macon County Continuum of Care.
“There was no coordinated transition plan with providers and a continuum of care, and no path forward was presented for those maintaining these critical daytime services,” she said.
The mayor said community members, service providers, faith leaders and advocates have repeatedly raised concerns about the loss of Oasis and the absence of a clear replacement plan. She said requests for another qualified provider to operate the facility had not moved forward, while inquiries about purchasing the property had failed to produce a path toward preserving its original mission.
Heritage’s request for proposals reserves the organization’s right to reject any proposal, negotiate with respondents, request additional information or decide not to sell the property.
Moore Wolfe said the city believes its resources, combined with the Salvation Army’s experience, offer the most immediate opportunity to restore services.
“So many of our nonprofits are really doing an amazing job on shoestring budgets, and many are struggling at this time,” she said. “But the city’s resources and the Salvation Army’s know-how and abilities, I think, make the strongest case possible for solving this problem.”
Under the proposal, the city would own and maintain the building, while the Salvation Army would manage the day shelter and provide services to people experiencing homelessness.
Major Randy Summit of the Salvation Army thanked the city for its willingness to partner on the effort, emphasizing that addressing homelessness requires cooperation among multiple organizations.
“I’m just grateful that the city has put their trust in us,” Summit said.
He also recognized the work of other organizations that have stepped in since Oasis closed, including the Empowerment Opportunity Center and Dove. He said the Salvation Army and other providers will continue working together regardless of the outcome of the city’s proposal.
Moore Wolfe said the need for a solution is becoming increasingly urgent as Decatur approaches the winter months.
“On Sunday, it will be November 1st. That means it’s the beginning of holiday season, and it means the beginning of winter,” she said. “And so the folks that have been basically shut down of the Oasis, we’ve all seen them on the streets. They’d nowhere to go.”
The mayor said the city has heard from residents and organizations eager to help but has struggled to direct those efforts without a clear plan for the facility.
“The number one thing we need to do, and do quickly, is get this building under the city’s auspices,” Moore Wolfe said.
She said the Salvation Army hopes it could reopen the center within a month or two, although the timeline depends on Heritage accepting the proposal, the property transfer, and aligning the resources needed to operate the facility.
Wolfe said the City was unsure whether the board, Garrison or a committee would make the final decision about the property’s future or when a decision would be made.
For now, the city’s proposal remains contingent on Heritage’s response. Moore Wolfe said she hopes the process can move quickly enough to restore access to daytime services before winter weather intensifies.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed that we get this done quickly,” she said.
