BEAVERTON, Ore. — On Tuesday, some Beaverton residents attended a city council meeting to vent their frustrations about a homeless shelter next to Beaverton City Park and Saint Cecilia School.
The meeting came a week after a man died following an accident in the park. The man, Seyedali Seyedhosseini-Mazlaghani, had accelerant on his clothing and accidentally set himself on fire while trying to light a cigarette, police said. A small bouquet of white flowers mark the spot where he died.
The shelter opened in 2017, and it's a partnership between the nonprofit, Just Compassion, and the city of Beaverton. For many years, it served only as a severe weather shelter, but in 2023, it began operating year-round. Saint Cecilia School is within view of the shelter.
"Drug deals in front of children, children offered drugs, acts of public indecency," said one parent during Tuesday night’s Beaverton City Council meeting.
One mother asked city council to "move the shelter immediately."
A man who also spoke said he understood the need to help homeless people, but added "we can't have them around the kids."
The Beaverton Police Department has increased patrols in the neighborhood. Police told KGW, between August and December of last year, they responded to around 1,500 911 calls within a half-mile of the shelter. They said approximately 70 of those calls were directly related to the shelter, or about 4.7% of the total number of calls.
Joe Russo lives across the street from the park and the homeless shelter. He said his heart goes out to the man who died, but he's also frustrated. He and other neighbors said they have been dealing with a lot since the homeless shelter became a year-round facility last year.
"Public urination, defecation. I’ve witnessed public drug use, and just the mental illness side of it," Russo said.
Fellow neighbor Carrie Foster said this week, someone knocked on her door looking for butane to smoke drugs. She said that's far from the worst of it.
“I came home one day to find somebody in my bathroom in my house,” Foster said. “I've had coffee thrown in my face on my property. I've been assaulted for no reason, just out of the blue.”
Neighbors said they're hopeful the shelter will close in August when they say the city is expected to wrap construction on a larger homeless facility with additional services, though there is no clear public timeline.
Last week, Beaverton Mayor Lacy Beaty issued a statement after the park death. It said, in part, “We are dedicated to a balanced strategy that supports those in need while ensuring the safety and integrity of our community.”
KGW dropped into the homeless shelter Tuesday and was told no one working there could speak on camera. KGW also reached out to the executive director of Just Compassion and is waiting to hear back.