Vancouver took another step toward possibly building a new facility where homeless people can spend time during the day and access services.
Earlier this month, the city submitted a preliminary information request application for a 3,000-square-foot day center that would be built on a vacant strip of land next to Lincoln Place, an apartment complex in downtown Vancouver for people who used to be homeless. The day center would have showers, bathrooms, laundry facilities, personal storage, mail and phone charging stations.
The property at Lincoln Avenue and West 13th Street is owned by the Vancouver Housing Authority and leased to Share, the nonprofit operating Lincoln Place, homeless shelters around Clark County and the current day center at Friends of the Carpenter.
The new day center would replace the 1,200-square-foot Vancouver space in Friends of the Carpenter’s warehouse at 1600 W. 20th St. That location was not viable long-term for a few reasons. For one, the city wasn’t able to get an easement to make the sewer line public, which would have allowed for the construction of showers, bathrooms and laundry facilities. Without the agreement of two neighboring commercial property owners, those amenities couldn’t legally be added.
C-Tran also discontinued bus service to Friends of the Carpenter, and the nonprofit has grappled with increased truck traffic in the area.
The day center opened in December 2015, and about 40 people visit it daily. Hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The logistics
Constructing a new day center would cost an estimated $700,000. Peggy Sheehan, manager of Vancouver’s community development program, said construction funds could come from a combination of Community Development Block Grants and Washington state’s capital facilities grants.
“We don’t have an agreed-upon source for the operating” funds, Sheehan said.
She’s working with county staff to see if excess deed recording fees — which already are used to help fund the homeless system — could possibly be used for the day center.
The day center would be next to Share House, the men’s homeless shelter across the street that provides daily hot meals.
“Share House provides homeless services, but once the service is provided, patrons have nowhere to be during the day. The day center is able to fill the gap in this regard giving people shelter and extra services such as showers, personal storage, laundry facilities, mail and phone services,” the preliminary application said. The two facilities would share the same staff.
The thought behind building the day center across the street from Share House is that it’ll improve outcomes for clients who will visit both places, as well as benefit nearby residents. People who would use the day center would be in the downtown area anyway. Share House serves breakfast at 6:30 a.m., and the day center would open at 7 a.m. It’s anticipated that clients won’t be waiting outside the facility prior to 7 a.m., the application said.
“The goal is to provide a location for people to ‘be’ during the day and provide basic humanitarian services that are designed to get people off the street,” the application said. Service would include counseling, general education classes, case management and job search assistance.
A pre-application conference is scheduled for Feb. 9.
