At last Saturday’s community meeting on Blanchet House’s proposed women’s shelter at Northwest 17th and Lovejoy streets, many concerns and questions were raised by the 50 or so in the crowded room.
One man, who refused to give his name to the NW Examiner, had plenty to say about the agency’s approach to its new neighbors.
“You’ve told us basically that this is going to happen whether we are against it or not,” the man said. “That seems out of order; the cart before the horse.”
“I’m sorry about that,” Blanchet House Executive Director Scott Kerman replied. “That needs to be updated.”
“But that’s what happened,” said the man. “You said it, and you did it.”
Earlier in the meeting, Kerman said a sales agreement had already been reached on the property, and the overnight shelter could open as soon as October.
“This magnet is going to be built whether we like it or not,” the man continued. “You keep telling us you want community engagement, but it’s being done without community engagement. That’s obvious here.”
The man had another point:
“You’re washing your hands of anything that happens by blaming the city,” he said. “You’re going to try and maintain this space, but if something happens, that’s the city’s fault.”
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