October 4, 2020 5:00 p.m.

After being open for 16 years, Casa de Belen is officially ceasing operations effective immediately, after efforts to resolve ongoing financial hardships were unsuccessful, according to a release from its Board of Directors.

The non-profit announced its operations were going into hiatus last June, and spent weeks focused on identifying sustainable sources of funding that would have allowed it to continue offering services to homeless and at-risk youth in the community. The release said those attempts ultimately bore no fruit.

Casa de Belen Board Chair Shelley Briggs Loosely said, “For the past year-and-a-half, the Board has spent countless meetings trying to come up with a sustainable business plan”. She said, “Regrettably, we have been unable to find a clear path to financial sustainability because of changes in state funding”.

The release said the facility, at 1199 Northeast Grandview, which is currently being leased by Umpqua Community College and used to house 14 female student athletes from its wrestling program, will be sold.

The release said the board will not dissolve and instead will focus its time on finding other ways it can continue to help homeless and at-risk youth in the Roseburg area.

Briggs Loosely said other organizations have stepped up to offer services in Casa de Belen’s stead, ensuring a safety net for youth in the community still exists.

Casa de Belen has served over 1,300 youth and family members since its 2004 opening. The organization provided an environment for youth to stabilize, reach educational goals, resolve conflicts and learn self-management skills, according to the release.

The release concluded by saying the board wanted to express “…its gratitude to staff, volunteers, and community partners who have devoted so much of their time and resources to serving this population in the community