HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-24-19 Public Comment - M. Haugen - HRDC Warming Center SiteFrom:Melissa Haugen
To:Agenda
Subject:Proposed HRDC homeless shelter at 3025 Westridge Dr.
Date:Thursday, October 24, 2019 2:57:19 PM
Dear City Commissioners and Marten Matsen,
I see the notice sign has gone up at the proposed HRDC warming center location at Westridge
and South 3rd. While my family doesn't live in the immediate vicinity of the proposed HRDCwarming center, my children attend Morningstar Elementary and will attend Sacajawea
Middle School.
My husband and I financially support homeless programs. We care about that population, andyet we have seen the negative impact of a homeless shelter on surrounding areas from our time
living in Seattle.
While the worst case scenarios (weapons, drug needles, harmful interactions with young kids,etc) are less likely because of the proposed population of women and families, the
consequences of something going wrong are very high. There are so many children in theimmediate area from the two large schools (total enrollment around 1,200), and the
surrounding residential area has numerous families with young children.
My concerns:
1. People without a home wandering around the school grounds and surroundingneighborhoods.
There is lack of clarity about what happens if people leave the house at night or don'tget on the bus.
From the HRDC, it sounds like the plan is that guests can only leave with an escort oron the bus or the Bozeman Police will be called in to transport them out of the area.
From neighbors looking into this, it sounds like the HRDC can't force anyone to geton the bus and guests are free to leave on foot in the morning if they choose.
2. The allowable number of 36 guests.
The HRDC said they had an average of 10-15 people at the Christ the King location
last year. With Bozeman's growth, the odds are that the homeless population willincrease making it more likely the average number of guests will also grow. This
only ups the chance that something could go wrong.If the permit has to be granted, could the permit limit the number of guests to a
smaller number, say 20?
3. The lack of a long term plan for the space.
The HRDC is building a larger warming center and says the need for an overflowshelter is temporary. The long term plan for the proposed space is basically non-
existent (per the community meeting on 10/15) and the special permit would beindefinite.
I understand they just purchased the property, but the vacuum of no plan is filled withworst case ideas in people's minds. What if the place starts to be used as a warming
center for only men or used year round or used consistently at the 36 guest capacity?Why not limit the permit to the time until the HRDC can build their larger warming
center?
Best regards,
Melissa Haugen
206.940.4723