On Thursday Mayor McClean put out an a video announcing a pause in the application process for the Interfaith Sanctuary Shelter on State Street to allow her to convene a city wide task force to look at the issue from all sides.
I applaud this announcement, since City leadership on this issue is something that I have advocated for on this blog several times.
I am pretty busy at work lately, but I am linking and quoting in length a Nextdoor post by local resident and homeless advocate Bobbie Atchison, since it sums up my thinking as well.
UPDATE: Someone pointed out to me that Bobbies #4 point below mentioned single-family homes. Given the right size facilities I don’t necessarily think a buffer zone necessary, and even if it was it would apply to more than just single-family homes.
The Mayor plans to establish a task force to evaluate appropriate locations for services to those experiencing homelessness (which could still include the State Street location). I am grateful that she heard the feedback from concerned citizens that Boise deserves excellent leadership from the City right now, that the homeless deserve shelter using ‘Best Practice’ principles, and that the neighborhoods of Boise deserve to be safe and have quality of life issues addressed IN ADVANCE and with a comprehensive PLAN that is not completely dependent on the desires of only one agency.
The Mayor stated that she is “Committed to ensuring that we get this right, while protecting those most vulnerable and keeping neighborhoods whole.”
The task force will be “Reviewing the best practices with regard to shelter, reviewing land that’s available, and the plan proposed by Interfaith. Looking at all the solutions.” The location at 4306 W. State Street, where the Salvation Army thrift store used to be, a piece of city owned land (location unknown) and although not said, hopefully other locations as well are under consideration.
The task force will be comprised of “Our Path Home partners, a Boise City Council member, health providers, residents who have experienced homelessness and neighborhood leaders”.
This means that NOW is the time for ALL BOISEANS to speak up. No longer do you have the security that a large congregate shelter will be in someone else’s neighborhood and therefore not your concern. This has always been EVERYONE’S concern.
Please do not misunderstand. This is not the time for the whole city to scream NIMBY. Homelessness is a complex issue requiring multifaceted solutions. A shelter (or hopefully shelters) are a necessary and valuable PART of the solution. The mayor is offering an opportunity to slow down and think about a better solution for Boise than the 200+ congregate very large shelter, which is the current IFS proposal that does not include most of the 'Best Practice" principles for serving those experiencing homelessness.
I am thrilled to hear the previous mantra of “This is the best we can do” shift more appropriately to “Better sheltering” and “Best Practice.” The Mayor stated they would “Work to ensure that the city meets the needs of those most vulnerable, whom we care deeply about, and meets the needs of our neighborhoods.”
In correspondence to the City here are Best Practice principles for which you could advocate:
1. Small shelters. 50 or fewer.
2. Specific shelters. Serve and address specific needs in seperate locations. (I.e. Avoid mixing families, drug & alcohol, mental health, elderly and medically fragile, singles). Of note: IFS is doing this well right now, but their current plan wants to put them all on the same property again.
3. Wide neighborhood buffer from single family residential homes. Ideally at least 300 feet.
4. Spread across zip codes. Avoid ‘poverty stacking’ in low-income neighborhoods.
5. Doors. Whenever possible offer the dignity and privacy a door provides and avoid the traumatic experience of congregate living.