This is a very perceptive article. Mayor Wilson, to my knowledge, has not invited or allowed any meaningful exchange with the community on this subject. As you pointed out in an earlier article, the mayor shot down the plan for a critic who was scheduled to present at the July 28 town hall. Apparently he did not feel "up to" listening to any critics??!! At last week's housing/homeless council meeting, he and his staff high-tailed it away from the audience immediately after presenting, thus refusing to have any interaction with the public. He continues to repeat the same skewed statistics, for example, stating that crime goes down around shelters when in fact, it does not. I don't blame the mayor for sticking to his guns, but I do fault him for his refusal to have meaningful engagement with the community. His staff has dodged all questions from the community, including these: 1) when will he enforce the no-camping laws, 2) how can he guarantee expedited camp sweeps in the 1000-foot impact zone, if the county refuses to clean up the existing and future tents under 405, on any expedited timeline, due to the expired contract with the city and the lack of budget?, 3) how can the promises of expedited handling of livability issues be assured, if there is no mechanism for ensuring such? There are WAY too many unanswered questions, and it makes neighbors very nervous (and very skeptical of the mayor's reliability) when they realize that they cannot get honest answers or any meaningful exchange going with the mayor and his staff on important details and logistics surrounding the shelters.
I am particularly interested in what three significant stakeholders expect when the shelter opens and how they plan to manage the influx of newcomers. The first would be the NW Lovejoy Safeway. The shelter will begin to disgorge its overnight visitors at 6 am with a small snack of some kind. The shelter is located 2-3 blocks from the Safeway, which opens at 6 am. No one can forget the situation at the SW Jefferson Safeway and Plaid Pantry and there was not even an organized overnight shelter nearby that business. The Portland Streetcar passed by both Safeway locations, making going and coming to them much easier than approaching, say, the W. Burnside Fred Meyer. What kind of planning / monitoring / changes do Portland Streetcar LLC and Safeway anticipate setting in motion to prepare?
There is currently no firm date for the opening of the new NW Branch Library between NW Overton and Pettygrove and NW 20th & 21st, nor a timetable for the anticipated park that was to be developed on the north side of Pettygrove, opposite the library. What preparation, if any, has Multnomah County Library undertaken to incorporate hundreds of new indigent additions to the NW neighborhood?
There are also a few food pantries which are currently over-extended and short of resources in the Pearl and Stumptown neighborhoods. When 200+ dispossessed people suddenly make this neighborhood their home - be it overnight or 24/7 - whose responsibility will it be to feed them? Probably not the overnight shelter (except for small noshes).
I also thought of another player that was probably not included in any preparation or discussion: Good Samaritan Hospital on NW 23rd, whose emergency room already sees more than its share of emergency visits by homeless injured, mentally ill, and drug-affected people.
I see that simply finding a place to warehouse folks overnight only solves a single transitory dilemma, leaving neighborhoods who were not consulted in the set-up to fulfill all other needs even if they are struggling to provide for low- and no-income people who already call NW Portland their home. If the city plans to "import" or move more, then it needs to seriously consider an offer of support and better communication to the institutions, businesses, and residents who have become involuntary hosts.
Michael Taylor, you makessome excellent points. One short answer to your question about the new library branch. It is very modest compared to some of the more impressive facilities being rolled out elsewhere in the city. When the NWDA Planning Committee met with them, they explained that they are not going to utilize the entire building for the branch. Essentially the building has been subdivided and they mentioned that the other half could be sublet to the city or another agency and used for homeless or shelter services.
This is a very perceptive article. Mayor Wilson, to my knowledge, has not invited or allowed any meaningful exchange with the community on this subject. As you pointed out in an earlier article, the mayor shot down the plan for a critic who was scheduled to present at the July 28 town hall. Apparently he did not feel "up to" listening to any critics??!! At last week's housing/homeless council meeting, he and his staff high-tailed it away from the audience immediately after presenting, thus refusing to have any interaction with the public. He continues to repeat the same skewed statistics, for example, stating that crime goes down around shelters when in fact, it does not. I don't blame the mayor for sticking to his guns, but I do fault him for his refusal to have meaningful engagement with the community. His staff has dodged all questions from the community, including these: 1) when will he enforce the no-camping laws, 2) how can he guarantee expedited camp sweeps in the 1000-foot impact zone, if the county refuses to clean up the existing and future tents under 405, on any expedited timeline, due to the expired contract with the city and the lack of budget?, 3) how can the promises of expedited handling of livability issues be assured, if there is no mechanism for ensuring such? There are WAY too many unanswered questions, and it makes neighbors very nervous (and very skeptical of the mayor's reliability) when they realize that they cannot get honest answers or any meaningful exchange going with the mayor and his staff on important details and logistics surrounding the shelters.
Agreed. 💯
I am particularly interested in what three significant stakeholders expect when the shelter opens and how they plan to manage the influx of newcomers. The first would be the NW Lovejoy Safeway. The shelter will begin to disgorge its overnight visitors at 6 am with a small snack of some kind. The shelter is located 2-3 blocks from the Safeway, which opens at 6 am. No one can forget the situation at the SW Jefferson Safeway and Plaid Pantry and there was not even an organized overnight shelter nearby that business. The Portland Streetcar passed by both Safeway locations, making going and coming to them much easier than approaching, say, the W. Burnside Fred Meyer. What kind of planning / monitoring / changes do Portland Streetcar LLC and Safeway anticipate setting in motion to prepare?
There is currently no firm date for the opening of the new NW Branch Library between NW Overton and Pettygrove and NW 20th & 21st, nor a timetable for the anticipated park that was to be developed on the north side of Pettygrove, opposite the library. What preparation, if any, has Multnomah County Library undertaken to incorporate hundreds of new indigent additions to the NW neighborhood?
There are also a few food pantries which are currently over-extended and short of resources in the Pearl and Stumptown neighborhoods. When 200+ dispossessed people suddenly make this neighborhood their home - be it overnight or 24/7 - whose responsibility will it be to feed them? Probably not the overnight shelter (except for small noshes).
I also thought of another player that was probably not included in any preparation or discussion: Good Samaritan Hospital on NW 23rd, whose emergency room already sees more than its share of emergency visits by homeless injured, mentally ill, and drug-affected people.
I see that simply finding a place to warehouse folks overnight only solves a single transitory dilemma, leaving neighborhoods who were not consulted in the set-up to fulfill all other needs even if they are struggling to provide for low- and no-income people who already call NW Portland their home. If the city plans to "import" or move more, then it needs to seriously consider an offer of support and better communication to the institutions, businesses, and residents who have become involuntary hosts.
Michael Taylor, you makessome excellent points. One short answer to your question about the new library branch. It is very modest compared to some of the more impressive facilities being rolled out elsewhere in the city. When the NWDA Planning Committee met with them, they explained that they are not going to utilize the entire building for the branch. Essentially the building has been subdivided and they mentioned that the other half could be sublet to the city or another agency and used for homeless or shelter services.