Low Barrier shelter: Check out this powerpoint presentation from the thurston County Homeless Coordinator to see how low-barrier shelter fits in to the service network!
For the most comprehensive answers to all of your questions please refer to this extensive document. Below are simple answers to FAQs.
What is “low-barrier”
or “shelter first”?
Low-Barrier or Shelter First is a model of service delivery that provides for the basic needs of street dependent people in order to get them off the streets. It prioritizes the provision of shelter and basic needs FIRST so that street dependent people can more easily access other services next (i.e. housing programs, substance use treatment programs, mental health support programs). In practice, this means:
Links to Resources and Allied Projects:
Examining the myths about low-barrier shelter - Olympia Power and Light article, October 30, 2013.
Why Low Barrier Services matter - An article from Shalom Community Center Interfaith shelter in Bloomington, IN.
Love Overwhelming low-barrier shelter - Shelter program in Longview, WA
Project Zero-Coordinate Thurston - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator website.
Project Zero library - Resources on most things homelessness!
Project Zero blog - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator blog, frequent updates and info on homelessness.
Project Zero local data - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator explains local data.
Project Zero myths and facts - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator explains myths and facts related to our Thurston County homeless community.
National Coalition for the Homeless - facts about homelessness, public policy recommendations
Why Some Homeless Choose The Streets Over Shelter-NPR story - Interviews with currently/formally homeless and service providers on why people choose to remain unsheltered.
Whatcom County Plan to End Homelessness - Check out Whatcom County's ten-year plan.
Seattle Urban Rest Stop - a project of the Low Income Housing Institute, providing a clean, safe and welcoming facility where individuals and families can come and use restrooms, shower and laundry facilities
Sidewalk - Olympia volunteer-operated “one stop shop” for shelter and housing services for homeless adults. Their mission is to end homelessness through community engagement and coordination of resources
DESC - Award winning Seattle Downtown Emergency Service Center who works to end the homelessness of vulnerable people, particularly those living with serious mental or addictive illnesses.
Low-Barrier or Shelter First is a model of service delivery that provides for the basic needs of street dependent people in order to get them off the streets. It prioritizes the provision of shelter and basic needs FIRST so that street dependent people can more easily access other services next (i.e. housing programs, substance use treatment programs, mental health support programs). In practice, this means:
- Individuals will be encouraged to participate in available programs but not required.
- Sobriety will not be required, however, there will be no drug or alcohol use on the premises.
- Each person that comes to the shelter will have a formal intake and registration interview with a trained staff member but will not be denied service without valid ID.
- Couples will be able to stay together.
- There will be secure storage space for personal items.
- Service animals and companion pets will be accommodated.
Links to Resources and Allied Projects:
Examining the myths about low-barrier shelter - Olympia Power and Light article, October 30, 2013.
Why Low Barrier Services matter - An article from Shalom Community Center Interfaith shelter in Bloomington, IN.
Love Overwhelming low-barrier shelter - Shelter program in Longview, WA
Project Zero-Coordinate Thurston - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator website.
Project Zero library - Resources on most things homelessness!
Project Zero blog - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator blog, frequent updates and info on homelessness.
Project Zero local data - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator explains local data.
Project Zero myths and facts - Thurston County Homeless Coordinator explains myths and facts related to our Thurston County homeless community.
National Coalition for the Homeless - facts about homelessness, public policy recommendations
Why Some Homeless Choose The Streets Over Shelter-NPR story - Interviews with currently/formally homeless and service providers on why people choose to remain unsheltered.
Whatcom County Plan to End Homelessness - Check out Whatcom County's ten-year plan.
Seattle Urban Rest Stop - a project of the Low Income Housing Institute, providing a clean, safe and welcoming facility where individuals and families can come and use restrooms, shower and laundry facilities
Sidewalk - Olympia volunteer-operated “one stop shop” for shelter and housing services for homeless adults. Their mission is to end homelessness through community engagement and coordination of resources
DESC - Award winning Seattle Downtown Emergency Service Center who works to end the homelessness of vulnerable people, particularly those living with serious mental or addictive illnesses.
Some frequently asked questions:
What is the
population referred to as “hardest to house” or "chronically homeless"?
This term refers to
people with more complex needs and multiple challenges -- mental
illness(es), addiction(s) and other conditions or disabilities, justice-system
histories -- who are most often excluded or
limited in accessing shelter or housing. Chronically homeless individuals have experienced homelessness continuously for at least one year or have had four episodes of homelessness in the past three years. The majority
of this population is not associated with violent behavior.
If you
are not asking for valid ID, how will you track who is staying at the shelter?
Each person that comes to the shelter will
have a formal intake and registration interview with a trained staff member. We
will use the federally mandated Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
to track the guests staying at The People’s House. This database tracks
demographic information necessary for receiving public funds such as Thurston County
HOME funding. This will enable us to
track our guests.
As a social service provider, we
reserve the right to run a background check or sex offender check on any guest
that poses a legitimate threat to self or others –including staff, volunteers, other
shelter guests and the community at large.
What
happens if someone has a weapon?
We have a strict no weapons policy. However,
as professionals we know that people living on the streets sometimes have
weapons to protect themselves. This means that someone can check an approved
weapon into a trained staff member and it will be labeled, held in a secured
safe box and returned to the person when they leave the shelter. This is usual practice in many institutions
including jails and mental health treatment facilities. There is a list of
banned weapons at the shelter to maintain a base level of safety including firearms.
If you
are not automatically running background checks how will you know if a
convicted sex offender is staying there?
By law, it is the responsibility of the convicted sex
offender to register his/her/their address. When a registered sex offender is
homeless, it is required for that person to list the shelter as their address. Law enforcement agencies work with shelters in Washington State and across the
country to monitor homeless sex offenders.
Can registered sex
offenders legally reside close to a public or private school, such as the St.
Michael School, Madison Elementary or Avanti High School?
For the most part, yes they can.
In order to preserve neighborhood relations, all of our guests at The People's House agree to abide by the good neighbor policy. This policy states specifically;
1. No littering in the neighborhood.
2. No loitering in the neighborhood.
3. No yelling or fighting on the People’s House porches, or in the neighborhood.
4. No panhandling in the neighborhood.
5. No purchasing of drugs or drug paraphernalia in the neighborhood.
6. No annoying, bothering, or disturbing of neighbors, businesses, or other people in the neighborhood.
Why would we put
funding into providing shelter?
Best practices of homeless management include a
comprehensive network of services starting with high access emergency shelter
and ending with affordable home ownership. Without adequate shelter, programs
like rapid re-housing, transitional housing programs and permanent supportive housing
cannot move as many people out of homelessness. Without an entry point, people are unable to efficiently move
through the network of services and out of homelessness.
Will The People’s
House attract more homeless people from surrounding areas into our community
and neighborhood?
We do not expect this trend to occur based on information in
the 2013 Thurston County Homeless Census -- Last Permanent Residence poll:
This data is consistent across eight years of Thurston
County homeless census data. Homeless people, just like housed people tend to
migrate towards urban hubs. Olympia is the urban hub of Thurston County and the
majority of our unsheltered homeless are already from here.
- 80% of unsheltered individuals are from within Thurston County
- Of those from Thurston County, 47% are from Olympia
- 14% are from Washington State
- 6% are from other states
How will you keep us
informed of the shelter plans?
Interfaith Works and its partners are committed to a full public
process. To date, we have held 3 public forums in various venues including
churches and The Olympia Center. We have presented our proposal to the Olympia
Downtown Association, the Parking Business Improvement Association, the Olympia
City Council Land Use Committee, the Coalition
of Neighborhoods Association and a number of other residents, businesses, social
service providers and citizens of Olympia. The Olympian has reported a number
of stories about the shelter dating back to the
winter of 2012.
Once a formal site has been finalized, a conditional use
permit process will begin as required by law. Part of this process includes a
formal public hearing with the submission of the change of use permit in
regards to the final site. The Olympia City Council will have a vote on whether
to approve the permit.
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