VANCOUVER, Wash. — Two new winter shelters in Vancouver are opening their doors for homeless individuals, starting this Saturday.
Homeless people and their pets who are referred will be able to stay for as long as they need, receiving a nightly meal and a warm place to sleep overnight between 6:30 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The group partnered with the city that is operating the shelters, Outsiders Inn, will also be trying to connect people with resources to eventually move them into more secure housing.
"We have bathrooms, a hospitality area; we’ll have meals brought in. We’ll be able to provide people with bus passes," said Adam Kravitz, the executive director of Outsiders Inn. "Even if it doesn’t get extremely cold, it’s always wet (and) there’s no dry place for folks, so this is lifesaving emergency shelter during this homeless crisis."
The larger of the shelters is located at the Vancouver Arts Hub building, at 1007 E. Mill Plain Boulevard, where 40 beds are currently available, with the potential to get up to 45, if absolutely necessary.
The other shelter is split on certain days between two different locations, with one being located at 521 Chkalov Drive on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, and the other being at Immanuel Lutheran Church for the rest of the week.
These are not walk-in shelters, and people must be referred.
“For folks to be able to access these shelter beds, it’s going to be through calling our housing hotline, where they’re going to be screened and doing background checks," said Sunny Wonder, the chief operating officer for Council for the Homeless, the nonprofit handling referrals.
“I think this is a really positive move for our community," Wonder continued.
However, with the Vancouver Arts Hub being the location for one of the shelters, some parents at VITA Elementary School were upset, due to safety concerns, which they expressed during a recent meeting at the school.
At the moment, this shelter does not have additional security staffing and is only staffed by Outsiders Inn.
When KGW asked Vancouver Public Schools for comment, they provided this statement in part from VITA principal Travis Bond:
Vancouver held a listening session at the school, allowing parents to ask their questions.
Since then, most parents have expressed empathy and a willingness to support those relying on the warming shelter during the cold months, while also continuing to voice reasonable concerns about safety. They want assurance that families leaving the shelter at 7 a.m. respect the school environment and an understanding that our adjacent campus remains closed to the public during school hours for safety reasons.
The City has reported they will not provide additional security staff at this time, but they have agreed to monitor the situation. Our school district does plan to add morning safety staff during student drop-off for the first week as we continue to assess and learn more about any potential emerging needs or concerns. Additionally, we will install mesh on the fence separating the buildings to enhance privacy and maintain dignity for both warming shelter users and our students and staff.
Our school is holding a clothing drive to support those needing the support of the shelter, and our school counselors are also working with our staff to revisit strategies to address students' questions and curiosity in a neutral and nurturing manner.
The shelters will remain open through March and will stay open on all holidays.
Background checks will be conducted on those trying to access a bed, and those with recent violent crimes or sex offenses will not be accepted.
The Council for the Homeless hotline number is 360-695-9677.