9/30/2022
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KHQ
KREM
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KHQ
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected to reflect the city issued a "notice to vacate," not an eviction notice.
SPOKANE, Wash. - A COVID-19 outbreak at the Trent Resource and Assistance Center (TRAC) has caused additional uncertainty over the relocation of residents at God's Love International, after that shelter was served with a notice to vacate by the city on Sept. 29.
According to staff at the Trent shelter, they are not turning away anyone due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which has infected four residents. All residents will have to follow COVID-19 protocols, including the use of masks. All four residents who tested positive are in quarantine, and the shelter has reached out to the Spokane Regional Health District for further guidance.
Staff at the shelter were made aware of the city's intentions to relocate residents from God's Love International to the Trent Shelter when God's Love International Senior Pastor Ronald Nelson arrived Thursday afternoon with a group of about ten of his residents.
God's Love International, 930 W 2nd Ave, Spokane WA 99201.
According to city spokesperson Brian Coddington, all of those residents were admitted to the shelter except one family. That family had children, and the shelter does not house anyone younger than 18-years-old, so the family was referred to other resources.
Updated Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
The City of Spokane served a notice to vacate to the God's Love International homeless shelter in downtown Spokane on Thursday, according to Senior Pastor Ronald Nelson and a spokesperson from the city.
The City of Spokane served a notice to vacate to the God's Love International homeless shelter in downtown Spokane on Thursday, according to Senior Pastor Ronald Nelson and a spokesperson from the city.
The notice gave residents until Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. to leave the building. Nelson said the shelter was housing 70 people at the time the notice was served.
A city spokesperson said the city will provide buses late in the morning on Sept. 30 to take residents to the shelter on east Trent if they wish.
The notice cited Nelson's failure to provide sufficient documentation showing compliance with city law and a lack of approval to serve food from the Spokane Regional Health District.
Previous communications between the city and Nelson gave the shelter until Oct. 21 to provide proper documentation as long as interim requirements were met. According to the notice, a "serious Fire Code violation" was observed, solidifying the need to vacate the building sooner.
The City of Spokane Fire Department identified the Fire Code violation on the night of Sept. 28. The shelter lacked a person on "fire watch" and the door was locked from the inside.
The notice was served along with a permit application to change the building from single-use to mixed-use.
An initial notice from the city included two typos which created confusion at the shelter. The notice required the building to be vacated by "Friday, September 29," instead of Sept. 30. The notice also showed the Fire Code violations were found on the night of Sept. 29, instead of Sept. 28.
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KREM
The camp and Washington Department of Transportation have made room for a new security fence. Now, the camp waits for WSDOT to install it.
Camp Hope: A Homeless Crisis in Spokane
SPOKANE, Wash. — Camp manager Maurice Smith said the last six weeks have been dedicated to cleaning up, organizing and condensing the homeless encampment.
“We had to move RVs, we had to move tents, we had to get a lot of things out of the way," Smith said. "Those things took time."
But Thursday, the camp was ready for Washington Department of Transportation trucks to haul out the excess trash and make room for the state-provided fencing.
Smith said clearing out a three-foot perimeter around the camp wasn't easy for everyone.
“I apologize to people when I say 'you got a lot of garbage, and they say well that’s my property,'" Smith said. "I get it. But understand, you’re not going to be able to take all of that stuff to an apartment or pallet shelter.”
Smith said these tough conversations are getting campers ready for a possible reality without the camp.
"This camp, one day, is going to go away," Smith said.
Clearing out the camp is something Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich has been vocal about. Knezovich told KREM 2 he expects to clear out people and property at the camp from Oct. 25 - Nov. 10.
Until that happens, camp management wants to make the current camp more safe and secure.
“The security fence is really a big signal to the community and the campers that we’re very serious about cleaning, organizing and getting everybody ready for the next step,” Smith said.
KREM 2 asked Smith to explain the thought process behind a fence serving as encouragement for campers to move on.
“The idea of putting up a fence isn’t meant to declare any sort of permanency," Smith said. "The purpose of the fence is to solve some immediate issues. Neighborhood security, camp security, we need that.”
Smith said the fence will have at least two entry points and lock after certain hours.
According to WSDOT, the goal is to have fences up before the weekend. The earliest the camp could see this new hardware is Friday.