City Begins the End of Park Camping

 By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

 

More like:..before...after...before...after...before...after...before...after...before..after...before...

Just a little over a year since Councilor Nordyke first praised City Council and staff for "helping move the needle on a crisis that has been decades in the making" by opening Cascades-Gateway and Wallace Marine Parks to overnight camping (See "COVID-19 Returns Campers to City Parks."), the Salem City Council agreed conditions in the parks had, sadly, become "unsanitary and a potentially a threat to public health and safety" and camping should, once again, be banned.  See "Has Council "moved the needle" on Homelessness?" (2 May 2020); "Council & Park Camping Tensions" (28 October 2020;  City to Extend Park Camping to June 2021"  (4 December 2020); "Park Camping to Continue for Now" (7 Jan 2021).   It seems that the growing chorus of senior outrage under the baton of Paradise Island Park owner and SEMCA Chair, Cory Poole was no match for Salem's so-called homeless advocates.  Cf. Hayden, N. "Where else would they go? Portland standoff with homeless campers at Laurelhurst Park dramatizes personal and political costs of inaction." (16 May 2021, Oregonian/OregonLive.) (Portland) and Caps, Kristin, "The High Cost of Clearing Tent Cities."  (12 April 2021, Bloomberg City Lab.) (Chicago, Houston, San Jose, and Tacoma).   

 

Thus it was that Monday night that Council passed Resolution 2021-21, extending the C19 emergency through 13 December 2021, but not extending the suspension of the parks camping ban (i.e. making camping in the parks illegal after 31 May 2021).  Any misgivings about the fact that, a year on, the City is no more able to accommodate (commit, house, shelter, jail) the campers than it was before, were effectively quelled by a paragraph added to the Resolution after the Council's May 17 work session, stating, "It is the policy of the City Council that camping be concluded in a legal and humane manner as soon as practical", and Councilor Hoy's insistence that the move was needed to hold Council "accountable" (the way slumlords tear down slums, one supposes).  The unanswered question on everyone's mind, however, was what will enforcement (or, if you prefer, the "rolling back" of what some called a sanctioned camping "program") look like.  See Whitworth, W.  "Homeless park camping ends June 1, but Salem officials say enforcement will be gradual."  (25 May 2021, Statesman Journal.);  Harrell, S. "Managed camps and new shelter options could be coming online soon as parks camping ends."  (25 May  2021, Salem Reporter.) ("could" here being entirely speculative).  No one, including the City, really knows (though it will be "section-by-section").   

 

What is the message here?

The staff report explains (rather, acknowledges, at long last) the legal strictures that prevent the City from immediately sweeping the camps the way it used to (see, supra, before...after).  In all probability, the promised "gradual" process will never be completed.  Just reducing the number of campers will take "an extended period", meaning several months but "not years", according to remarks made by Gretchen Bennett during Monday's meeting. 

 

During "debate", Councilor Phillips rightly pointed out that last year's decision to allow camping in the parks fulfilled its stated purpose, which was to prevent as far as possible the spread of C19 within the street homeless population.  He believes the decision probably did save lives (he is, remember, a doctor).  It also put increased pressure on the City Manager's Office, specifically Gretchen Bennett, the City's Human Rights and Relations/Federal Compliance Manager (Senior Policy Analyst), who was assigned the task of fielding complaints about the City's response to homelessness and liaising with the City's homeless service providers, amateur and professional, to coordinate mundane but critical government services such as garbage disposal, a role that previously tended to fall de facto to Urban Development Director, Kristen Retherford.  2020 was thus the year that saw City Manager Steve Powers begin publicly reporting to Council in granular detail how the City and "partners" were managing the hoards living in the parks, in the streets and under bridges.  From his May 7 report:

 

While not City property, we have been directly involved or have helped coordinate services at the Market St./I-5 encampment. Every Wednesday, outreach teams visit the Market Street underpass and along I-5. This includes, ARCHES, Northwest Human Services (HOAP -medical outreach, as well as HOST Youth and Family outreach), Easter Seals (to locate and help house veterans), HIV Alliance - Needle Exchange, and Salem Housing Authority.  Arches has completed around 20-30 housing assessments with those staying there. Salem Housing outreach checks to see who has had a housing assessment and helps them with any next steps, or to check where they are at on the wait list. A couple people in this area have been referred to the HRAP program, and Salem Housing is working on getting them enrolled. Easter Seals has connected with about two or three people and offered services/housing through their programs. ARCHES has also placed five to ten people from this area into the hotel program due to them being medically fragile/vulnerable. HOAP's team provides medical case management as well as wound care. They can transport to the hospital, as well as to HOAP to receive COVID vaccinations. Volunteers have been helping transport to the Arches mobile shower truck.  The garbage is picked up by ODOT every other week; volunteer teams collaborate with people who are camping there to get the garbage collected and into trash bags. The City has provided trash bags and gloves on two occasions to nonprofits involved in this effort. Gretchen Bennett and Ryan Zink have just recently negotiated a great deal with Covanta Marion.  Garbage collected at unsheltered encampments can be delivered by approved haulers to Covanta at no charge. Rite-Aid, outreach organizations, and the City worked together on a concentrated deep cleaning of the sidewalks surrounding Rite Aid.  The same humane, coordinated approach will be taken for the sidewalks along the Marion Parkade. 

Given the inevitability that the numbers in the parks would swell, the parks would flood, conditions would grow increasingly miserable, many would be unable to conform, some would prey on the vulnerable, and the neighbors would complain loudly and bitterly that "nothing" was being done, it was perhaps inevitable that the City would begin referring fraudulently to homeless camping as "sheltering."  "After the sheltering ends in the two parks, damaged facilities will be repaired." "Staff are aware of the growing number of persons sheltering on sidewalks and at the parking garages, also referred to as "sheltering hot spots."  The reality was just too, je ne sais quoi, depressing.  

The City estimates its decision to end parks camping, if fully implemented, would displace ~500.  If ODOT were to resumes camp "cleanups" en masse, as many as 400 would be displaced (but of course  ODOT cleanups never happen all at once).  The Church at the Park's Safe Park vehicle camps and the temporary pallet shelter/vehicle camp on Portland Road appear to be full up.  See Whitworth, W.  "A new homeless shelter is opening in north Salem. How it plans to address neighbor concerns."  (2 April 2021, Statesman Journal.)  Council seems ready to approve Church at the Park's proposal for 3, temporary, 20-tent managed camps, and a temporary 40-bed low-barrier shelter somewhere in the vicinity of downtown.  Not nearly enough, obviously, but for some strange reason, Council's so-called progressives appeared Monday night to feel as though much had been accomplished (perhaps they were still feeling the glow from Janet Carlson's May 17 presentation on the achievements of the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance).  With all the state and federal funds now at the City's disposal, money appears to be no object, everything's either a "best practice" or "innovative", so why not try everything, at least until the money runs out.  If there's a strategy here, it's to be seen providing minimal supports while hoping (praying?) affordable housing booms.  

Hope, as we know, is not a plan.  So, let's be clear and state what should be obvious.  Salem needs to focus on reducing the number of  chronically homeless persons who are living in its streets, parks and under bridges.  These are the individuals that everyone in Salem (really, anywhere) had in mind when they said (for last 5 years running) that homelessness was their No. 1 concern.  Doing that would mean prioritizing placing 579 persons with at least one disability, according to the City's numbers in permanent supportive housing.  Not in a pallet shelter or a tent or a vehicle camp or even a hotel, but in P-S-H.  That will require more support for HRAP (which accepts only the "more" vulnerable, not the "most" vulnerable because of inadequate staffing and facilities) and the development of more PSH than is currently in the pipeline (Sequoia Crossings* will not be nearly enough).  A sobering station and another mobile crisis response unit (both state ARPA candidates) will do nothing repeat nothing to house Salem's chronically homeless.  Nor will managed camps or the MWV Homeless Alliance.  Yet these, sadly, are the shiny objects that compel Council's full if uncritical attention.  If some enjoy what Councilor Nordyke and Salem Reporter refer to as  "overwhelming support", it is because people have been misled about what such programs can, and cannot, do.  City staff want to take a more strategic approach;  Council should be supporting that effort, not pulling in the opposite direction just so they can be seen to be "doing something."  (Yes, it's obvious.)

*Oregon's Housing Stability Council is expected to approve awards Friday 6/10/21

 

In other news, Salem finally made the "severely rent burdened" grade for 2020, finally creeping past the 25% threshold to 25.3% (a city was severely rent burdened when >25% of residents spent >50% of income on rent). Corvallis was 36.9% (Oregon's highest).  Keizer was 24.2%.

 

6/3/21 Update:  Gretchen Bennett on evicting campers:  “We strive to see what the alternative shelter locations and safe park (for vehicle) locations there are.”  Harrell, S. "'Having to be moved like cattle is ridiculous.' Hundreds ponder what’s next as city-sanctioned homeless camping is expected to end"  (2 June 2021, Salem Reporter.) 

 

6/11/21 Update: "Salem Police Department officers and parks crews were focusing this week on moving people from the Cascades Gateway Park area east of Mill Creek and the Beaver Grove Shelter picnic area" (improved areas supposed to be off limits for camping).  Lugo, W and Whitworth, W.  "Salem crews begin removing homeless from Wallace Marine and Cascades Gateway parks."  (11 June 2021, Statesman Journal.)  "Before the clearing began, police counted 211 tents at Wallace Marine Park and 171 tents at Cascades Gateway Park." 

5/18/21 Minutes

 Members: Valorie Freeman

Organizations: Marion Barnes, Western Oregon University

City, County and State Representatives: Virginia Stapleton, Ward 1 Councilor

Guests: none

The regular meeting of CANDO was called to order at 6:00 p.m., on Tuesday, May 18, 2021.  The meeting was conducted by Zoom video-conference.  The Chair and Secretary-Treasurer were present.  

The agenda and minutes of the April meeting were approved unanimously. 

Councilor Stapleton gave a report on her and Council’s activities and answered questions.  

Marion Barnes gave a presentation and answered questions about WOU’s new facility at 525 Trade Street.

Michael Livingston’s motion to spend $500 of communications funds to renew CANDO’s sponsorship of Mid Valley Resources at the silver level passed unanimously.      

 

There being no further business before the board, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 6:45 p.m.

 

MWVCAA's C19/Cold Weather Shelter 2020-2021

 By Sarah Owens and Michael Livingston

As happened last season, an October cold snap accelerated the cold-weather sheltering effort in Salem, only this year, those efforts were complicated by a surging pandemic that limited congregate shelter capacity (e.g., UGM Men's Mission's winter capacity was reduced to from 198 to 125).  See Harrell, S. "As warming season approaches, agencies compensate for lost shelter space with new sites."  (26 October 2020, Salem Reporter.) 

The cold spell lasted only two days (Saturday October 25 and Sunday the 26th), during which Salem First Presbyterian Church's overnight shelter had a limited capacity of 30 (down from 93).  The ARCHES Project day shelter was open the coldest day, Sunday, during the day.  Otherwise, people did the best they could, both where the City allowed camping -- Wallace Marine and Cascades Gateway parks and several vehicle camps -- and where it did not (e.g., along Market Street at 1-5), because the new sites were not open.  See Woodworth, W.  "Salem considers more options for 1,500 homeless as winter looms, COVID cases spike."  (31 October 2020, Statesman Journal.)  The mercury dropped again November 8, and the City's only open warming center, First Presbyterian, was at capacity.

2640 PDX Rd NE (l) and 1787 State Street (r)

As we all know, the presence of C19 changed how we did everything, and crushed delicate plans.  The City and the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency (MWVCAA) sponsored two duration shelters at new locations.  "Duration" means, once opened, the shelter opens nightly, regardless of temperature.  Because of C19, providers planned to use what they called a cohort model for the duration shelters, whereby select individuals would enroll and shelter together for at least 30 days vs. different guest every night (fewer people swapping air).  Initially, the idea was to enroll those assessed to be highly vulnerable if left outside and needing supports through MWVCAA's Coordinated Entry program. 

One of the duration shelters was on State Street (25 places, opened November 22) and one was on Portland Road (25 places, opened ~December 1) (see "MWVCAA's Cold Weather Shelter 2020-2021").  On November 5, the City held a fairly well-attended information/Q&A session to discuss the opening of the Portland Road program, and offer advance reassurance to NIMBYs that the program would not last more than 18 months. 

2640 Portland Road NE Shelter Community Meeting 11/5/20

Also on December 1 -- because the mercury was dropping below 33 for several days -- MWVCAA began offering a limited number of hotel rooms on a first-come, first serve basis, to those without other shelter options such as Safe Sleep United and Union Gospel Mission.  The hotel program was needed because Salem, and indeed the country, was seeing a new surge in C19 cases, making the volunteer-dependent, temp-activated shelter program impracticable.   

“COVID-19 is spreading faster in all parts of Oregon. It took six months before 25,000 Oregonians became sick with COVID-19 and two months more until we reached 50,000 total COVID-19 infections in Oregon. Most recently, it took three weeks to go from 50,000 cases to 75,000, and this weekend we crossed 900 total deaths,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen on November 30. 

Due in part to the hotel program, the State Street location, called "Shelter on State" or SOS, operated by Church at the Park, was initially under-subscribed.  A decision was made to revert to first-come-first served, despite the C19 risk, and participation increased.  Partly as a result of the SOS experience, the plan for the Portland Road location was changed from a pre-selected cohort plan, to a first-come-first-enrolled plan, effective December 22.

Mid-December, winter flooding began out at Cascades Gateway Park (see Harrell, S. "Homeless campers flooded out of Cascades Gateway after heavy rain."  (21 December 2020, Salem Reporter.);  Urness, Z.  "'People are suffering:' Floodwaters inundate homeless camp of 300 at Cascades Gateway Park."  (21 December 2020, Statesman Journal.);  Barreda, V.  "Crews pick up debris, help replace belongings for campers flooded out of Cascades Gateway Park."  (23 December 2020, Statesman Journal.)) and violent (but ineffectual) protests broke out in the Capitol during a one-day emergency legislative session.  About 100 of the most vulnerable were offered hotel accommodations through February 10, according to news reports, which quoted MWVCAA Director Jimmy Jones as saying "Every single year the water comes up in these locations ... Cascades flooded out last year, the only real difference is that density issue, we had a much larger number affected this time around."  

Following the flooding, the number of camps around the City continued to grow, as did the number of C19 cases and related deaths.  New groups organized to provide meals and pick up trash on Market Street at I-5.  Woodworth, W.  "'Nobody was doing anything for them': Salem volunteers help homeless encampment under I-5"  (12 February 2021, Statesman Journal.)

On February 1, Church at the Park opened a ten-week, 24-hour duration indoor camping program at the Fairgrounds Pavilion.  (50 tents/100 person capacity) on a budget of $602K, paid for with $250K from MWVCAA's share of "Out of the Cold" state program funds and $352K from the City of Salem.  See Harrell, S. "Salem fairgrounds welcomes unsheltered to temporary campground."  (1 February 2021, Salem Reporter.)  Whitworth, W.  "100-space homeless shelter opens at Oregon State Fairgrounds."  (1 February 2021, Statesman Journal.)  Another "Safe Park" vehicle campsite was set up in the parking lot.

Within 24 hours, the Pavilion program was full.  Whitworth, W.  "100-space homeless shelter opened Monday at Oregon State Fairgrounds fills up in 24 hours."  (5 February 2021, Statesman Journal.)  A good thing, because Mayor Bennett was ready (or at least wanting) to force people into the shelters, according to what he told the City's Legislative Committee in March.  Had the Pavilion not filled up, "We could have demanded they [sidewalk campers] move.  I think we would have had a whole bunch of people say, 'Nah, we're going to go over here and live.'  The question is, do we have any coercive power..."  "House Bill Kills Mayor's Sit-Lie Buzz" (4 March 2021). 

On February 2, the City Manager gave City Council this update.

 

On February 9, the City Manager reported:

The Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion shelter and Safe Park [Network (vehicle camping)] are at capacity.  The Safe Park site [at the fairgrounds] has a waiting list. Persons sheltering at the fairgrounds are a mix of families and individuals, including relocations from Cascades Gateway, Wallace Marine, I-5/Market Street, and throughout the area. The City and Salem Housing Authority work with non-profit organizations through a coordinated intake process so there is a best fit for a person or family in need and available shelter. Hotel rooms are also a part of the sheltering system this winter. The City leveraged federal and state funding to expand use this year of hotel rooms. Our most vulnerable in Salem, including families, people who have chronic health conditions, and people age 65 and older, are in priority order for hotel rooms.

Church at the Park hired about 60 workers to run its programs, about half of whom were themselves homeless.  Some volunteer workers expressed grave doubts about the quality of the Church's hiring decisions, even though workers had to pass background check and receive random drug tests "about quarterly."  On February 22, one of the Church's shuttle drivers swerved off the road and onto the sidewalk and reportedly struck Salem lawyer David Runner, who suffered a head injury.  Harrell, S.  "Shuttle driver for Church at the Park charged with drug possession following off-duty crash." (3 March 2021, Salem Reporter.)  Luckily, she was off-duty at the time.  

 

The Portland Road, SOS and Pavilion programs closed down at the end of March.  Church at the Park gave Pavillion residents an eviction notice, below, copy to City Council.  Ten days beforehand, the City put out a news release stating that the City was still looking for "additional homeless shelter sites" and in the interim, "continues to develop other concepts and innovative solutions" with a link to its strategic plan.  As for its plan to address homelessness, see "Council Adopts 2021 Homeless Action Plan"  (10 March 2021). 

 

On 23 March 2021, the City agreed to allow Church at the Park to use the Portland Road site for 24 hr vehicle and pallet structure camping through the end of October by enactment of Resolution 2021-11, which amended Resolution 2020-49 which had declared a state of emergency relating to unsheltered persons through 26 October 2021. See "News from the Continuum" (24 March 2021).  The site re-opened under this new authorization on April 19, 2021.

Jimmy Jones summed up the season for the MWVCAA board this way.  

The winter sheltering season is complete, though the motel program will continue until mid-June.  I cannot tell you how grateful we have been to have these extra resources.  Many of the folks we’ve sheltered have grave health conditions and some of them would not have made it through the winter without this work. At day’s end, in the middle of a pandemic, we managed to provide more bed nights than at any time in our history (currently at 11,054).  Our goal for this winter, after last winter, was a bed count of 10,000 for the winter of 2020-2021.  I never thought we would get there, given the space limitations from COVID. But the motel program saved us.