Emergency Tacoma homeless shelter headed to Hilltop. Micro-unit village to house up to 35
The city of Tacoma is paying $388,000 to open a temporary emergency homeless shelter in Hilltop to address encampments.
The shelter is estimated to fit 35 people in 22 micro units and be set up on undeveloped property at Martin Luther King Jr. Way and 8th Street, about a block from People’s Park.
“It’s going to be a community of people that are going to be referred from People’s Park,” said Sharon Lee, executive director of the Low Income Housing Institute (LIHI).
LIHI, a Seattle-based nonprofit that also operates Plum Street Village in Olympia, will operate the shelter for no longer than eight months.
“They are absolutely well-versed in running these types of locations and so that it why we’re entering into a contract with them,” said Allyson Griffith, manager for the city’s Neighborhood Enhancement Team. “We definitely need a place for people to get inside and get shelter, so anything that the city can do and our partners can do ... to create more shelter in our community is important.”
What homeless micro shelters will look like
The micro shelters, which look similar to tiny houses but do not have kitchens or bathroom facilities, will be 8 feet by 12 feet. Each will have insulation, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, beds and sheets.
“They’ll be set up so one or two people can live inside,” Lee said.
A communal kitchen tent will provide a sink, refrigerator, coffee pot, toaster oven and grill. Case managers will be available to connect those staying at the site move with permanent or transitional housing or other services. Pets also will be allowed inside.
A fence will surround the site and have security features including a gated entrance. Weapons and drugs are prohibited, and those who agree to live there must sign a code of conduct. They’ll also partake in chores, such as cleaning up litter around the village.
A set-up date for the shelter has not yet been determined, but work can start as soon as Wednesday. Once up and running, the city will assess the village and consider implementing more tiny home sites.
After the eight months are up, Mercy Housing will begin construction of an 69-unit apartment complex for seniors making under 50 percent of the area median income.
LIHI operates 10 tiny home villages in Seattle and Olympia and helps about 1,000 men, women and children over the course of the year, Lee said.
People typically stay in a tiny home from two to six months. In the past quarter, 65 percent of people helped by LIHI went into permanent or two-year transitional housing, Lee said.
Council action on shelters
Tacoma City Council members approved the contract for the shelter at a contentious meeting Tuesday night. They say it’s part of an effort by the city to increase shelter availability.
“I think this is a step in the right direction,” said Council member Keith Blocker, whose district includes Hilltop. “I don’t think this is a solution to solving our homeless crisis, but I do think its a good way to mitigate some of the impacts that are happening at People’s Park.”
On Oct. 1, Tacoma City Council approved changes to the park code that included prohibiting any walled structures, including tents. Council delayed enforcement of the code until Dec. 1 after public outcry over the lack of available shelter in the city
Since then, people sleeping in tents in People’s Park have moved their tents onto city right-of-way, which is also illegal under Tacoma’s current code.
The emergency shelter is a direct response to the encampment at People’s Park, which has grown in past weeks. One encampment resident, Patricia Washington, counted more than 100 people at the campsite. By contrast, the city’s outreach team has indicated there are between 30-40 individuals experiencing homelessness at the encampment.
“We need a place for people to go,” Griffith said.
Henri Taylor, 33, has been at the People’s Park camp since Nov. 2. He thinks the micro shelter is a good idea.
“I think it will help us all, because it at least gives us something warmer to be in,” Taylor said.
“I think it’s a great thing,” added another encampment resident, who goes by the name L.A.
Both also expressed frustration with the lack of shelter space in the city. Taylor said he felt pressured in having to move by Dec. 1.
“You have to give us more time, more places, more extension,” he said.
L.A. said the people at the encampment speak often to law enforcement and make sure to keep sidewalks clear.
“I know it’s an eyesore, but I’d like (people) to know this: You might find yourself in my shoes one day. Have some compassion,” he said. “Your brother, your sister, your cousin might be out here.”
One man who lives at People’s Park told Council during public comment at Tuesday’s meeting that there’s nowhere for him to go if he’s told to move.
“People are going to die out there, and I’m going to be one of them,” he said.
Lack of shelter space persists
Homeless advocates said they approve of the micro shelter but that the city isn’t doing enough to solve a lack of shelter space.
“I want the city of Tacoma to have a proactive policy on ending homelessness,” said Maureen Howard, a member of the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness.
At Tuesday’s meeting, in addition to the contract with LIHI, City Council approved changes to the temporary shelter ordinance with the goal of making it easier for churches and nonprofits to set up shelters. Instead of limiting the number of shelters per police sector, the city will allow up to 150 shelter residents per police sector. A minimum of one mile must separate each temporary shelter site.
The city also extended its declaration of emergency until there is shelter availability for 95 percent of unsheltered individuals in Tacoma, which staff say is 436 people, according to the annual Pierce County Point in Time Count.
Prior to Tuesday’s City Council meeting, the Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released a statement that raised concerns that the county’s Point in Time Count misrepresents the number of homeless in the county, and that there are actually more. The statement also projected the cost of the micro shelter to be $100 per person per night.
“The LIHI contract is a step, but only a baby step and an expensive one at that,” according to the statement.
City staff said they know more shelter is needed.
“It’s not enough — we know it’s not enough, and we know shelter isn’t the end game,” said Linda Stewart, director of the city’s Neighborhood and Community Services, at Tuesday’s meeting. “The end game is housing, and we’re going to keep nosing that rock up the hill through the Affordable Housing Action Strategy.”
Have your say
The city of Tacoma is hosting two stakeholders meetings this week to address potential shelter sites. The meetings are open to the public.
▪ Wednesday (Nov. 20), 5:30 p.m., Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 S. Tacoma Way.
▪ Thursday (Nov. 21), 5:30 p.m., Asia Pacific Cultural Center, 4851 S. Tacoma Way.
This story was originally published November 20, 2019 at 6:05 AM.
