TO: Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Steve Powers, City Manager
FROM: Gretchen Bennett, Homelessness Liaison
SUBJECT:
title
Shelter response to the homelessness emergency.
Ward(s): All Wards
Councilor(s): All Councilors
Neighborhood(s): All Neighborhoods
Result Area(s): Safe Community, Welcoming and Livable Community.
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SUMMARY:
summary
Over 1,000 people are estimated to live outdoors in the Salem area. Unsheltered women make up almost one half of the unhoused population. There is a shortage of shelter beds for women. Per City Council direction, additional sites have been identified that meet sheltering criteria.
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ISSUE:
Information Only. After outreach and information sharing, staff will return to City Council with a recommendation to approve specific micro-village sites.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
The information report is an opportunity for City Council to discuss the selection of micro-village sites.
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FACTS AND FINDINGS:
Safe and managed shelter options for women and persons who identify as feminine non-binary are needed. Options are needed for persons age 55+. Feasible locations for micro-villages have not been discovered utilizing initial siting criteria. At Council direction, the City and non-profit partners reevaluated locations, reviewed new locations identified by the community, and reconsidered properties used for other purposes. New sites that have been evaluated for feasibility can be found in Attachment 1.
The City currently funds two micro villages, the Village of Hope, 2640 Portland Road NE, and the Catholic Community Services micro village, 3737 Portland Road NE.
State environmental restrictions prevent the Village of Hope from operating at 2640 Portland Road NE after May 15, 2022. To prevent service disruptions, a site to replace Village of Hope should be selected in February 2022. To meet the need to shelter older women and use funds raised by the community, a second site is recommended. Community members generously donated funding for 120 micro shelters. Fifty are currently in use at the two current locations. Seventy more can be purchased if sites are added.
The estimated cost to replace Village of Hope and add a site is $888,000 to $1,656,000, per site, for twelve months of operation and start-up cost, depending on the number of persons sheltered.
Outreach will occur before sites are recommended to City Council. Outreach will include direct notification to all who reside within 250 feet, discussion at Neighborhood Association meetings, and three general community meetings (two virtual hosted by the City of Salem and one in-person hosted by the current non-profit operator).
BACKGROUND:
Addressing homelessness is a City strategic priority. The City has received $10,500,000 from the Oregon Legislature for homelessness response and prevention and sheltering in Salem. City Council has budgeted $8,055,390 of one-time federal American Rescue Plan Act funds for homelessness response and prevention and sheltering.
Gretchen Bennett
Homelessness Liaison
Attachments:
1. Micro Shelter Village Site Options