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.