City eyes community center in Northeast Tacoma as new warming shelter for homeless
A new warming center may soon open in Tacoma for people looking to escape the cold.
The city of Tacoma and Metro Parks Tacoma is seeking to activate the Center at Norpoint, located at 4818 Nassau Ave. NE, as a warming shelter on a temporary basis during the inclement weather season. The community center is not open right now for use due to COVID-19.
Currently, there is not a confirmed date that the warming center would open.
“When a date is available, it will be shared with the media and public,” the city said in a news release on Wednesday.
The city is aiming for capacity of up to 50 people and anticipates that it will open by mid-January and operate continuously, 24 hours a day, through March 31, according to the city’s website.
“The site provides face masks, meals and sleeping mats,” the city said. “Guests have access to supportive employment programming and referrals to additional services to address barriers to housing, such as mental health and substance use disorder treatment.”
Some residents in Northeast Tacoma heard of the potential opening of a warming shelter this week and took to social media with questions and concerns.
Yvonne McCarthy with the Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council is assembling a list of questions from the community to send to the city and Metro Parks. She said residents want to know how services will be offered in an area away from most homeless resources and whether people will be offered places to go when the shelter ends.
“There are people who want more information, and they’re shocked to hear about it two weeks before (the shelter could open),” she said.
City staff said that referrals to the center will be made by the Homeless Outreach Team and community service providers, who can arrange transportation and space availability.
Council member Robert Thoms represents the area and told The News Tribune that he shares concerns from constituents of the location’s distance from existing services in the city.
“Safety is paramount not only for those who might use the center and how they would get transported to emergency services, but also for the broader community who already suffers from being so far away from essential services,” Thoms said.
Thoms added he’s going work to try to ensure adequate fire station and police resources if a warming shelter were to open.
The first warming center opened at the Eastside Community Center at 1721 E. 56th St. in October in response to community need and will remain open through March 31. The center has been operated daily since Nov. 18 with the capacity to serve 55 people overnight. Those who use the shelter at night and during the day are required to follow COVID-19 safety protocols.
City staff have been working to identify additional space for people experiencing homelessness as shelters face reduced capacity to comply with social distancing.
Since November, at least five people experiencing homelessness have died outdoors or living in their cars, Kevin Glackin-Coley, director of special projects at the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness, told The News Tribune earlier this month.
This story was originally published December 30, 2020 at 5:17 PM.
