DHSTF Recs Update

by Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

Revised: 4 May 2019

As we reported earlier (see "Bureaucratic BS Burying Good Neighbor Partnership"), the City Council conducted a work session on February 19, to go over the staff Implementation Plan Recommendations (Plan) issued in January.

That Plan attempts to spell out how the Council might implement the recommendations of the Downtown Homeless Solutions Task Force (DHSTF) issued last August.

Our earlier post detailed some of the problems with the Plan as regards the Good Neighbor Partnership recommendation.  This post is a brief on where things appear to stand with the remaining recommendations.

24/7 Public Toilets:  Council might consider a "Portland Loo" type project during the budget process, but 24/7 toilet access (Rec #1) is most likely going to come from Union Gospel Mission (it is one of the conditional use permit conditions) and the Salem Police Department upon the completion of their new facilities, and from the Mid Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) (as a condition of the City acquiring the property at 615 Commercial Street NE).  See Brynelson, T. "Salem Considering buying ARCHES building, bankrolling more services for homeless."  (6 February 2019, Salem Reporter."  Timing wise, the downtown is probably looking at mid June for ARCHES and 2021 for everything else.

Single POC and Good Neighbor Partnership:  (Recs #2 and #3) See "Bureaucratic BS Burying Good Neighbor Partnership."

Expand Downtown Cleaning Services:  (Rec #4) Probably going nowhere, as is proper.

Storage Facilities: (Rec #5) Likely going to come from Union Gospel Mission (it is one of the conditional use permit conditions) and possibly from MWVCAA, as a condition of the City acquiring the property at 615 Commercial Street NE.

Expanded Access to Hygiene Facilities:  (Rec #6) Likely to come from MWVCAA as a condition of the City acquiring the property at 615 Commercial Street NE.

Anti-panhandling Measures:  (Rec #7a) Probably going nowhere, as is proper.

Anti-crime Building/Site Mods: (Rec #7b) The new Riverfront-Downtown Urban Renewal Area Strategic Project Grant Program offers grants up to $50,000 for commercial projects designed for crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).

Any future action on the recommendations will likely occur in Urban Renewal Agency meetings, or as part of the Budget Process.

2019 Council Policy Agenda

5/4/19 Update:  although the 2019 Council Policy Agenda promised that "Recommended policy changes and projects from the Downtown Homeless Solutions Task Force will be considered in the FY 2020 Proposed Budget", they were not mentioned, either in the "Welcoming and Livable Neighborhoods" section (pp 151-168), or during the budget committee meeting on April 24 that covered that section (see summary here).  Councilor Kaser noted at the meeting on May 1 that the Urban Renewal Agency budget (Book 2 of Proposed Budget) included a total of $2.5 million "to implement  URA  eligible  projects  and  programs  that  align  with  the Homeless Solutions Task Force recommendations", but there was no discussion. 

The public and Council's attention instead focused on proposed "cuts" to the Homeless Rental Assistance Program (HRAP), youth development and DARE programs.