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11-23-2015, 05:22 PM
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448062934-8645452-080417_wapato_sign-thumb.jpg (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448062934-8645452-080417_wapato_sign.jpg)
Recently, Mayor Hales and his homeless team of three came together with the residents of Multnomah Village at the Multnomah Arts Center. The topic-using the mothballed former Sears Armory as an emergency shelter for up to 200 of Portland's homeless for the upcoming six months of harsh weather.
The crowed Mac auditorium was proof that the community of Multnomah Village cared about their neighborhood, and the idea of dropping a homeless shelter near three grade schools and a half a mile away from the closet Tri-Met bus stop.
After a brief statement by the mayor, the floor was opened up to questions, and the shit started hitting the shelter's fan. As questions were asked and answered, the crowd became more and more restless. The reason was clear; the mayor and his team were very tentative in their response to questions. There were many delayed, "we'll need to follow up on that" responses. It was as though the mayor's team hadn't considered many of the questions posed to the panel.
One of the sticking points was the logistics of shuttling up to 200 domestic violence (MVH) homeless women to and from the armory every day. With the shelter designed to be open only from roughly 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., convoys of shuttles will be coming and going from downtown Portland to the Multnomah Village area when traffic is at its worst.
I'm not sure if the idea of shuttling those in need of shelter is genius or unrealistic. One thing is certain: It's never been done before in Portland.
Many in the audience were also voiced their concern over the decision to have what will be (at capacity) Portland's largest homeless shelter in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Transition Projects, Inc. has been tapped by the mayor's office and awarded the funding to provide the staff needed to accommodate shelter residents.
In response to concerns, TPI's representative spoke of their historical experience and acted as though it was no big deal and just another shelter. Clearly opening and managing a shelter for up to 200 women, with shuttles coming and going, in the middle of an affluent neighborhood, was not just another shelter.
It will cost a little over one million dollars to open the doors of the shelter on Thanksgiving day. In six months when the shelter closes, the Sears Building will be converted to an Emergency Management Center for SW Multnomah County, which will require roughly $12 million.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063027-6721777-WapatoBunks-thumb.jpg (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063027-6721777-WapatoBunks.jpg)
One of the most heated moments of the evening came when one person asked why the Wapato minimum security correctional facility was not being utilized in addition to the Sears armory.
A resident of the neighborhood said, "what about Wapato?"
The mayor's representative said, "because we can't."
Another resident said, "Why can't you use the same powers of declaring a state of emergency to open the Sears armory to open Wapato?"
The mayor's representative said, "because we can't."
"If you're going to shuttle people to and from the Sears armory, why can't you shuttle people to and from Wapato."
The mayor's representative said, "because we were told that Wapato can't be used for legal reasons."
"Wapato cost $54 million and cost $300,000 a year to keep in moth balls - why not use it?!"
There was no response from the mayor's representative.
"If you used Wapato, you could provide food and all of the services they need."
No response.
"You're spending all of this money to open the armory, wouldn't that money be better spent on a permanent facility like Wapato?"
No response.
The questions continued. You get the idea. The minimum security Wapato correctional facility was designed and built to hold and accommodate approximately 500 people. Because of the way Wapato was funded more than ten years ago it has been illegal for the facility to make a profit.
The thing that the mayor's representative either didn't know or didn't want to share with those in the auditorium, the use and profits restrictions end next year and will free up Wapato.
(The Wapato facility has been used frequently as a movie production location and only charged the daily amount of maintaining the facility.)
The residents of Multnomah Village want to do whatever they can to make the Sears armory shelter a success. Rarely have I seen a more empathetic group discussing the location of a shelter. They have concerns, yes, but their concerns stem from a place of wanting to set the shelter facility up for success, rather than failure. Hearing of such great needed shelter space, in general, those in attendance at the public forum, want the mayor to answer simply all of their unanswered why questions-including those about the use of the minimum security $54M ($300K+ annual to maintain) Wapato correctional facility.
After the forum had adjourned officially, a resident of Multnomah Village approached me (knowing of my advocacy) and whispered in my ear... "Jeff, why don't you start a petition so people can support the use of Wapato?"
Ted Wheeler (before announcing his mayoral campaign) has historically considered the non-use of Wapato a "black eye on Portland." I have been advocating for the use of Wapato for months, a few weeks ago I took toured the facility to check it out and see if I could figure out why there seemed to be such universal we can't use Wapato sentiments. After my tour, I became even more convinced that Wapato was a viable solution for up to 500 homeless.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063224-4039095-wapatobunks-thumb.jpg (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063224-4039095-wapatobunks.jpg)
The facility has co-located facilities, dental, medical, ER, showers, a commercial kitchen, dorms, space for group meetings, etc., etc., etc. With about the same amount of money used to bring the Sears armory out of mothballs, the same can be used for a similar Wapato project.
Since advocating for the use of Wapato, I have asked others what they think of the idea of using Wapato for homeless alleviation purposes and without exception, those who's thinking was negative, they were benefiting from maintaining the homeless status quo. In other words, if Wapato were used, they would be out of a job.
I have also asked hundreds of homeless individuals what they thought of the idea of using Wapato. One homeless Veteran said, "when you're drowning-you don't refuse a life jacket!" This sentiment was universal.
If you support the use of Wapato Correctional facility, please sign the petition here. (https://www.change.org/p/mayor-hales-portland-or-use-the-empty-wapato-correctional-facility-for-the-homeless-in-portland-oregon?recruiter=321267547&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink)
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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Recently, Mayor Hales and his homeless team of three came together with the residents of Multnomah Village at the Multnomah Arts Center. The topic-using the mothballed former Sears Armory as an emergency shelter for up to 200 of Portland's homeless for the upcoming six months of harsh weather.
The crowed Mac auditorium was proof that the community of Multnomah Village cared about their neighborhood, and the idea of dropping a homeless shelter near three grade schools and a half a mile away from the closet Tri-Met bus stop.
After a brief statement by the mayor, the floor was opened up to questions, and the shit started hitting the shelter's fan. As questions were asked and answered, the crowd became more and more restless. The reason was clear; the mayor and his team were very tentative in their response to questions. There were many delayed, "we'll need to follow up on that" responses. It was as though the mayor's team hadn't considered many of the questions posed to the panel.
One of the sticking points was the logistics of shuttling up to 200 domestic violence (MVH) homeless women to and from the armory every day. With the shelter designed to be open only from roughly 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., convoys of shuttles will be coming and going from downtown Portland to the Multnomah Village area when traffic is at its worst.
I'm not sure if the idea of shuttling those in need of shelter is genius or unrealistic. One thing is certain: It's never been done before in Portland.
Many in the audience were also voiced their concern over the decision to have what will be (at capacity) Portland's largest homeless shelter in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Transition Projects, Inc. has been tapped by the mayor's office and awarded the funding to provide the staff needed to accommodate shelter residents.
In response to concerns, TPI's representative spoke of their historical experience and acted as though it was no big deal and just another shelter. Clearly opening and managing a shelter for up to 200 women, with shuttles coming and going, in the middle of an affluent neighborhood, was not just another shelter.
It will cost a little over one million dollars to open the doors of the shelter on Thanksgiving day. In six months when the shelter closes, the Sears Building will be converted to an Emergency Management Center for SW Multnomah County, which will require roughly $12 million.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063027-6721777-WapatoBunks-thumb.jpg (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063027-6721777-WapatoBunks.jpg)
One of the most heated moments of the evening came when one person asked why the Wapato minimum security correctional facility was not being utilized in addition to the Sears armory.
A resident of the neighborhood said, "what about Wapato?"
The mayor's representative said, "because we can't."
Another resident said, "Why can't you use the same powers of declaring a state of emergency to open the Sears armory to open Wapato?"
The mayor's representative said, "because we can't."
"If you're going to shuttle people to and from the Sears armory, why can't you shuttle people to and from Wapato."
The mayor's representative said, "because we were told that Wapato can't be used for legal reasons."
"Wapato cost $54 million and cost $300,000 a year to keep in moth balls - why not use it?!"
There was no response from the mayor's representative.
"If you used Wapato, you could provide food and all of the services they need."
No response.
"You're spending all of this money to open the armory, wouldn't that money be better spent on a permanent facility like Wapato?"
No response.
The questions continued. You get the idea. The minimum security Wapato correctional facility was designed and built to hold and accommodate approximately 500 people. Because of the way Wapato was funded more than ten years ago it has been illegal for the facility to make a profit.
The thing that the mayor's representative either didn't know or didn't want to share with those in the auditorium, the use and profits restrictions end next year and will free up Wapato.
(The Wapato facility has been used frequently as a movie production location and only charged the daily amount of maintaining the facility.)
The residents of Multnomah Village want to do whatever they can to make the Sears armory shelter a success. Rarely have I seen a more empathetic group discussing the location of a shelter. They have concerns, yes, but their concerns stem from a place of wanting to set the shelter facility up for success, rather than failure. Hearing of such great needed shelter space, in general, those in attendance at the public forum, want the mayor to answer simply all of their unanswered why questions-including those about the use of the minimum security $54M ($300K+ annual to maintain) Wapato correctional facility.
After the forum had adjourned officially, a resident of Multnomah Village approached me (knowing of my advocacy) and whispered in my ear... "Jeff, why don't you start a petition so people can support the use of Wapato?"
Ted Wheeler (before announcing his mayoral campaign) has historically considered the non-use of Wapato a "black eye on Portland." I have been advocating for the use of Wapato for months, a few weeks ago I took toured the facility to check it out and see if I could figure out why there seemed to be such universal we can't use Wapato sentiments. After my tour, I became even more convinced that Wapato was a viable solution for up to 500 homeless.
http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063224-4039095-wapatobunks-thumb.jpg (http://images.huffingtonpost.com/2015-11-20-1448063224-4039095-wapatobunks.jpg)
The facility has co-located facilities, dental, medical, ER, showers, a commercial kitchen, dorms, space for group meetings, etc., etc., etc. With about the same amount of money used to bring the Sears armory out of mothballs, the same can be used for a similar Wapato project.
Since advocating for the use of Wapato, I have asked others what they think of the idea of using Wapato for homeless alleviation purposes and without exception, those who's thinking was negative, they were benefiting from maintaining the homeless status quo. In other words, if Wapato were used, they would be out of a job.
I have also asked hundreds of homeless individuals what they thought of the idea of using Wapato. One homeless Veteran said, "when you're drowning-you don't refuse a life jacket!" This sentiment was universal.
If you support the use of Wapato Correctional facility, please sign the petition here. (https://www.change.org/p/mayor-hales-portland-or-use-the-empty-wapato-correctional-facility-for-the-homeless-in-portland-oregon?recruiter=321267547&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink)
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. (http://start.westnet.ca/newstempch.php?article=terms.html/) It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.
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