3/8/2022
It is amazing how news coverage of homeless issues drops off as the weather gets warmer. This is _exactly_ why we need to continue to focus on getting adequate emergency shelter - if we don’t, it will just drop off the radar until next winter (or this summer if it gets devilishly hot), when everyone will look around and say, “What? I thought we fixed this _last_ winter!” Let’s keep our eye on the prize - adequate emergency shelter for 300 - 500 people by next winter.
I also want to comment on the piece from KXLY (and similarly on KREM) on "Spokane man who's been arrested more than 225 times faces new charges”. This article and the associated video clip lit up NextDoor.com - and not in a good way for the city, or for our homeless folks, who for whatever reason, get associated with this guy even though he says he isn’t homeless. I think it is irresponsible to post such an inflammatory headline without some explanation - and there must be one for such an outlier as this. Will KREM and KXLY do some more research, please?
KREM
KXLY
############################
KREM
New affordable housing community for families experiencing homelessness opening in Spokane
The new housing community, Gonzaga Family Haven, is opening in a partnership with Gonzaga University, Gonzaga Preparatory School and St. Aloysius Parish.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Catholic Charities Eastern Washington is opening a new affordable housing community in Spokane that will serve as housing for families that are chronically experiencing homelessness, according to a press release.
The new housing community, Gonzaga Family Haven, is opening in a partnership with Gonzaga University, Gonzaga Preparatory School and St. Aloysius Parish.
73 families will be given an apartment in the community, according to a press release.
“Families and most importantly, children need a roof over their heads at night before they can think about anything else,” Rob McCann, president & CEO of Catholic Charities, said in a statement. “Gonzaga Family Haven will not only help families stabilize their lives but will give them options for a brighter future.”
Gonzaga Family Haven will include on-site services, including case management, connection to medical resources, substance abuse counseling, Head Start & ECAP Program afterschool tutor lab and academic support programs, personal health and wellness classes, adult education, employment readiness, food preparation and nutrition courses.
PHOTOS: Gonzaga Family Haven
“Gonzaga University believes in the purpose and power of community, and we are excited to become a part of the Gonzaga Family Haven community,” Gonzaga University president Thayne McCulloh said in a statement. “We are looking forward to offering many of our successful community engagement programs at the Family Haven. These service-learning opportunities, integral to the Jesuit educational model, are strategic and long-term commitments. We believe the Family Haven partnership holds the potential for Spokane to establish a national model of community-driven change.”
According to a press release, Gonzaga Family Haven "will change the lives of families who have experienced the trauma of intergenerational poverty, homelessness and the chaos of family separation."
The new affordable housing community is set to hold a grand opening event on March 30, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
############################
KXLY
More mental health resources coming to Medical Lake
Posted: March 7, 2022 3:16 PM Updated: March 7, 2022 8:26 PM by Esther Bower
MEDICAL LAKE, Wash.– More mental health resources are coming to Medical Lake.
For years, the school district has been trying to bridge gaps in mental health services for the community to proactively help families.
“As we continue to build, we’ve seen a gap in being connected to our families,” said Tawni Barlow, the Director of Student Services at the Medical Lake School District.
She says people often know about the resources out there, but the connection and next steps fell short. She hopes to bridge that gap at the H.U.B. It stands for help, unite and bond. The space is located at 317 N. Broad St. in Medical Lake and is open from 8 to 11 a.m. Monday through Thursday. Its goal is to create strong family, community and school connections to combat the growing mental health crisis.
There are critical resources, social workers, family therapists and parental support on-site at all times. It’s free to use for the whole Medical Lake community. Families can also bring young children to the kid’s corner and find help on site for issues difficult to navigate alone.
“We really want to destigmatize the sense of being needed to be seen for a mental health issue, very similar and make it normalized for folks,” said Kimberly Headrick, the Assistant Superintendent for the Medical Lake School District.
At the H.U.B., students and parents can have lifesaving conversations early on.
“We can again address issues before they become something that is a crisis,” Headrick added.
Washington’s Department of Health is taking this model and sharing it with other schools in the state.
Spokane man who's been arrested more than 225 times faces new charges
March 4, 2022 1:53 PM
Updated: March 4, 2022 7:47 PM
SPOKANE, Wash. – A local man who has been arrested more than 225 times has been arrested once again.
Spokane Police booked 45-year-old Glen W. O’Brien into jail on Wednesday for vehicle prowling, theft and malicious mischief.
Vehicle Prowling.mp4 from SpokanePD on Vimeo.
Officers said O’Brien was captured on video breaking into a car and stealing items from inside.
Police said they have seen a dramatic rise in vehicle prowling downtown recently. In the first two months of this year, vehicle prowling incidents grew by 441.7 percent compared to the same time period last year.
O’Brien was contacted as recently as last week for a different incident, where he was cited for reckless burning. An outreach team member offered to refer him to services, but O’Brien indicated he was not homeless and refused help.
O’Brien, who has 47 felony convictions, was released from jail on his own recognizance.