8/8/2022
Ed. Note: this first article on what Colville is doing is important: at least this small community is providing water, sanitation, and waste removal for their homeless citizens. In Spokane we don’t do that, for some reason…
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The Spokesman-Review
Colville designates empty lot for homeless camping
Spokane opens cooling centers as heat returns to area
Quince Street Village homeless mitigation site beginning to take on new residents
KREM
KHQ
The Center Square
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The Spokesman-Review
Colville designates empty lot for homeless camping
By James Hanlon
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
COLVILLE – It’s not just politicians in Spokane who are grappling with policies to deal with rising homelessness.
The city of Colville is preparing a place where homeless people will be allowed to camp so that the city can legally enforce its ordinances against camping on public property and long-term parking, in compliance with several recent court cases.
The “homeless shelter space,” as the city is calling it, will be built on a 1-acre lot south of the wastewater treatment plant on Louis Perras Road in Colville.
Stevens County awarded Colville $125,000 in homeless funds last month to fill the lot with gravel and build a fence around the property.
After hearing from concerned citizens in an open hearing, County Commissioner Greg Young said the plan is worth a try.
“They are doing something. We can see what doing nothing looks like,” Young said.
Erik Sloan lives on a city-owned lot in north Colville. In the coming months, the city wants to move him and his neighbors to a city-See sponsored homeless encampment about a mile away. JAMES HANLON/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
With a population of 5,000 people, Colville is the county seat and largest town in Stevens County.
“We’re a small town with kind of a big-city feel in some ways up here,” Mayor Jack Smith said.
Homelessness is increasing. “We’re seeing a lot more of the homeless vehicles up here now,” Smith said. “Homeless camping is still a problem, but it’s more of a move-through type thing. It’s really not all that dissimilar to what you would see in a larger city.”
Smith blames the problem on a couple of recent judicial decisions.
In Martin v. Boise in 2018, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that camping in public spaces must be allowed if there are no shelters available. And in Seattle v. Long in 2021, the Washington Supreme Court made a similar ruling for people living in their vehicles, meaning the city could not enforce its 72-hour parking time limit.
The only shelters in Stevens County – a seven-bed men’s shelter and a 12-bed shelter for women and children, operated by Rural Resources Community Action – are full with a waiting list. The American Legion in Colville runs an overnight warming center, but only in winter when temperatures dip below 25 degrees.
According to Colville municipal code modified since those judicial decisions, “a location on city property that provides reasonably similar camping accommodation” counts as an available shelter.
So, the plan is to relocate everyone to the city-owned lot on Louis Perras when it is ready in a couple months.
“If we didn’t have a chance to enforce our law, I wouldn’t even be in favor of this,” Smith said. Yet in doing so it will give homeless people a safer place to stay, he said, with some basic amenities including two portable toilets, a dumpster and fresh water through an existing ground spigot.
Formerly a trailer park, the lot is separated from the rest of town by train tracks, but it is in walking distance to several organizations offering homeless resources.
A chain-link fence will have obscuring material on the south and east sides facing town, while views of the hills and fields on the west side will stay open. The fence will mark the boundaries to prevent the camp from moving into the fields, Smith said.
The Northeast Tri County Health District will provide the dumpster and portable toilets through a Washington Department of Ecology solid waste grant.
“Those basic services are really to help prevent further health issues down the line, like human waste buildup,” said Matt Schanz, administrator of the health district.
An unofficial homeless encampment of about a dozen tents or vehicles and 20 occupants already exists on another city-owned lot north of town at the end of North Railroad Street. Occupants moved there during last winter from a smaller city-owned lot down the street.
Residents of this encampment had varying degrees of knowledge about the new camp, held open minds about it and plan to move there willingly.
“As long as there’s enough room for all of us,” said Barbara Barbee, a 59-year-old double amputee with limited mobility. “We’re getting bigger.”
“I’m excited about it,” said Beverley Arbuckle, who has been homeless since 2015 when her adult son died. “It’s somewhere to go where we’ll be accepted.”
Arbuckle looks forward to having access to fresh water and a consistent place to stay, knowing she won’t be kicked out. Her goal is to find permanent housing, perhaps starting with a trailer and renting a lot. The new camp could give her a place to park it until she is ready.
“It’s not like we all just lay around all day,” she said. “There’s not one person I know that isn’t out there trying to better their lives that’s in this camp.”
The city uses the North Railroad lot for dumping snow in the winter. Smith said the city prefers the Louis Perras site because it is more developed, closer to town and easier to keep an eye on.
Volunteers will help run the site with a check-in process, and police will make routine checks each day, Smith said.
There are many more homeless individuals clustered throughout town besides the group on North Railroad, however. These are distinct groups that might not get along if they are all forced together in a small space, said Teresa Lang, director of Hope Street, a daytime “rest stop” that provides laundry, showers and access to other services.
An annual point-in-time count conducted by Rural Resources and reported to the state Department of Commerce found 47 homeless people living in Stevens County in February. The count included homeless people living in emergency shelters or in hotels with emergency vouchers.
There are likely more than 47 homeless people in the county, since that figure only includes people they were able to locate, said Ryan Berendsen, housing director for Rural Resources.
Barry Bacon, founder of Hope Street, called the number “crazy low.”
Hope Street has served over 250 homeless individuals since it began in 2015 and has placed over 50 in housing over that time, he said.
They keep their own list of people they know of in the various camps. “We know that there are well over 50 within Colville alone, that we’ve identified,” Bacon said. Because of such an undercount, he is concerned the city lot will be much too small to accommodate everyone.
Smith estimates the lot can accommodate about 25 vehicles, but he could not give a number on how many people.
Bacon called the project an “ill-devised scheme” to get around Martin v. Boise.“What it comes down to is what is the definition of a shelter? Is a shelter a place where you put a port-a-potty and a garbage dumpster in an open field? Apparently, according to the city leadership, they think that that constitutes a shelter.”
Bacon is also concerned about punishment of those who are not willing to move to the lot. Violation of the ordinance is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or imprisonment up to 90 days.
“We will support this idea, but not because we think it’s a good idea,” Bacon said. “This is a boneheaded idea, but we will support it and we will serve people who are there because these are the people who we serve.”
“I understand why this is needed,” Berendsen said, “but I think it’s a Band-Aid for the real problem of homelessness.” He sees permanent supportive housing as the real solution. This kind of housing continues to provide services and resources, rather than simply providing housing without any other form of support.
Bacon agrees. “When people have a sense of permanency, when they have their own place, it changes the level anxiety and it makes them feel like they belong, like they’re part of the community,” he said. “They can invest and they can take care of their place.”
Both Rural Resources and Hope Street are working on developing this kind of housing. Bacon says local leadership has resisted these developments.
When asked if he sees this project as permanent or temporary, Mayor Smith said, “We are going to commit to this and try to make it work.”
Still, he acknowledges it is not an ultimate solution.
“This is really a stopgap,” Smith said. “I have no magic wand or no crystal ball for the future. We’re hoping this will give us a chance to get the situation under control and hopefully we can save some people.” James Hanlon can be reached at (509) 459-5467 or by email at jamesh@spokesman.com.
Several makeshift dwellings occupy an unauthorized homeless camp on city property in north Colville.
JAMES HANLON/ THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
Spokane opens cooling centers as heat returns to area
By Kip Hill
THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW
The return of triple-digit temperatures to the Inland Northwest has prompted the city to once again open libraries as cooling shelters early this week.
Four of Spokane’s public library branches will open from 9a.m. to 8p.m. Monday and Tuesday as the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region beginning at noon Monday through 11 p.m Tuesday.
“Anyone who needs a place out of the heat is encouraged to spend time in the air conditioning at one of the branches,” Mayor Nadine Woodward said in a statement.
The branches that will be open include the Central branch, 906 W. Main St.; Shadle, 2111 W. Wellesley Ave.; Liberty Park, 402 S. Pittsburg St.; and Hillyard, 4110 N. Cook St. Drinking fountains, restrooms, interactive play areas and free Wi-Fi are available at the branches.
In addition, the city’s public pools and splash pads will be operating Monday and Tuesday.
The National Weather Service in Spokane predicts the most intense heat will occur Tuesday, with temperatures topping 100 degrees in many areas stretching from the Palouse to North Idaho. Spokane is expected to hit 100 degrees on Tuesday, flirting with the 103-degree daily record reached in 2018.
Tuesday’s heat has already prompted cancellation of the Riverfront Eats food truck event in Riverfront Park. Originally scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., the event will instead be postponed until Aug. 16, according to a social media post by the city’s Parks & Recreation division.
The heat wave will break on Wednesday, but along with the drop in temperatures will come the slight chance for potential thunderstorms and fire starts. There’s a 20% chance of thunderstorms in Spokane on Wednesday morning, according to the weather service.
If measurable rain does fall Wednesday, it would be the first recorded since July 15, according to weather service records. Spokane County remains under a fire danger burn restriction prohibiting recreational fires in devices without chimneys.
Kip Hill can be reached at (509) 459-5429 or at kiph@spokesman.com.
Quince Street Village homeless mitigation site beginning to take on new residents
By Ty Vinson
OLYMPIAN
OLYMPIA – After four years near the Intercity Transit station downtown, Olympia’s homeless mitigation site is opening at its new location at 1211 Quince St. SE, and starting to accept residents.
Last week, people began moving from the Franklin Street Mitigation Site to Quince Street Village. The new site is meant to house about 100 people in total, with 80 tiny houses and more on the way. According to a news release from the city of Olympia, Faith Alliance for Tiny Houses is soon going to begin construction on 17 more units that will be in place by the end of September.
The city’s Homeless Response Team plans to have all residents moved by the end of the month.
Residents will have electricity and heat, and the homes are outfitted with mold-resistant paint and drywall. There are also laundry facilities and multiple restrooms and showers. Each tiny home features a bed and a tote to store personal belongings.
A donation from Home Depot will provide funds for site beautification, including garden beds and flowers.
Catholic Community Services will manage and staff Quince Street Village under contract with the city. Subcontractor Valeo Vocation, a nonprofit organization that helps provide access to income and support, will help staff the site.
The plan is that one day, permanent supportive housing will be built in the site’s place.
Olympia Assistant City Manager Keith Stahley said the original site was started on a shoestring budget four years ago and has continued to evolve ever since.
“Quince Street Village is a major step forward from both a services and facilities perspective for the residents and the community,” Stahley said in the release.
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KREM
With more heat on the way, the cooling tent at the homeless camp on Freya St. and I-90 is still up. It is expected to stay up through the heatwave on Tuesday.
SPOKANE, Wash. — With more heat on the way, the cooling tent at the homeless camp on Freya St. and I-90 is still up.
Jewels Helping Hands, one of the non-profit organizations responsible for the tent says it will stay up at least through Tuesday.
Many people who live at the camp have used the tent to rest and even sleep.
“Wonderful, I cannot express more gratitude. It's a blessing,” said Duan Marsh, a homeless encampment resident.
The city of Spokane previously issued an order to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), asking the tent to be removed. Both the tent and the encampment sit on property owned by WSDOT.
The city can fine WSDOT for each day it doesn't comply with the city's order.
But Jewels Helping hands says it'll just be a hassle if they have to take it down.
"Next week it's going to be back up to triple digits. To take this down it's going to be a lot more money. To take it down and put it right back up again for next week so if we can just leave it there." said Ken Graey, spokesman for Jewels Helping Hands.
Extreme heat warnings have been issued by the National Weather Service for next week.
There are many amenities that are provided inside the cooling tent.
"There's food, there's drinks, there's snacks, there's beds. Everything, we go in there to hang out, we basically are family here," said Crystal Jones, who lives at the camp. “We're all tight knit and we've known each other for a long time. I'm grateful because if it wasn't for this tent we would've died of heat stroke."
Jewels Helping Hands also said they're already $4000 short in funding for tent-staff.
But if Jewels Helping Hands gets a violation they have a message of their own.
"Fine us… fine us,” said Graey.
Graey said that the expectation is to keep up the tent past Tuesday. Jewels Helping Hands hopes to get a permit to keep it up as long as they can.
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KHQ
A new study from Go Banking Rates said Spokane has the most affordable rent relative to minimum wage. According to them, minimum wage earners need to work an average of 63.33 hours to pay rent every month, the lowest in the nation.
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The Center Square
Mark Bannister plays with his dog, Amelia, where he lives in a camp for people experiencing homelessness along the American River Parkway in Sacramento, Calif., on Feb. 24, 2022. Bannister said many people lacking housing do not want to go to shelters in Sacramento because pets are not allowed. For years, liberal cities in the U.S have tolerated people living in tents in parks and public spaces, but increasingly leaders in places like Portland, Oregon, New York, Seattle and other cities are removing encampments and pushing other strict measures that would've been unheard of a few years ago. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
Rich Pedroncelli/ AP Photos
(The Center Square) – Snohomish County is partnering with nine cities to spend $9.6 million on 11 projects for shelter and behavioral health services.
The county’s Shelter and Behavioral Health Partnership Program has matched federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars for city-led projects up to $250,000 per project. Cities were eligible to receive funding for up to two projects.
All told, Snohomish County plans to have spent $2.3 million of its ARPA dollars on shelter and behavioral health efforts, with jurisdiction matches resulting in $7.3 million in additional spending. County and city contributions together should add up to $9.6 million.
“By working in partnership with cities and community organizations, we can stretch our dollars and provide more needed services to more vulnerable people, making our communities safer for all,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said in a statement.
The working plan was to create shelter units for 36 homeless persons; rent and rehousing assistance to help at least 130 persons stay in their homes or find new housing; and Increased behavioral health services, including social worker involvement in emergency responses, navigation services for people interacting with the criminal legal system, case managers for unhoused residents, wraparound services for disadvantaged students and in-school mental health clinicians and social workers, according to the county.
The cities that county is partnering with include: Edmonds, Everett, Lynwood, Marysville, Bothell, Monroe, Sultan, Mukilteo and the City of Snohomish.
The highest contribution the county made to one project was $500,000 in ARPA funds to the Marysville Emergency Shelter Home. The City of Marysville is purchasing two multi-family housing units designed to provide transitional shelter to homeless persons and families. The county expects each unit to serve eight persons – totaling 16 individuals across both units with access to services.
“These investments in sheltering will help address the significant barriers many in our community are facing to find housing. Specifically, the MESH program in Marysville focuses on a transition for addiction recovery patients into a productive lifestyle after treatment,” said Snohomish County Councilmember Nate Nehring.
The city with the the most spending on housing and behavioral health programs is the City of Edmonds, which funded $3 million to a Household Support Grant Program. That program addresses financial hardship caused by the pandemic by providing direct financial assistance to households earning up to 60% of the area median income. The county is funding $250,000 to the program through the partnership.
"I'm proud of our ARPA-funded Housing Support Grant Program . . . which is making a real difference for households and individuals who have faced particular financial hardship since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic," Edmonds Mayor Mike Nelson said.