The Hermiston City Council on Monday got an update on Project Path, the homeless shelter being built on Lind Road between Hermiston and Umatilla.
“We’re creating a project and a service quite literally from the ground up,” Umatilla City Manager David Stockdale told the Hermiston council.
Project PATH (Practical Assistance through Transitional Housing) is a collaborative effort between Umatilla County, the cities of Hermiston, Umatilla, Echo and Stanfield and the local nonprofit Stepping Stones Alliance.
“We have groups that provide great help to people in need, but we don’t have transitional housing and that’s what we’re doing here,” said Stockdale.
Since the groundbreaking in November, the intergovernmental agreement between the county and the participating cities has been signed, as well as a contract with Stepping Stones Alliance.
Stockdale told the council on Monday that the work has focused primarily on administration, setting up how Project PATH will be governed, and what resources are available.
The Project PATH is one of eight pilot projects selected by the state to develop services for the homeless. Each pilot project received $1 million from the state. Stockdale said Stepping Stones Alliance has also received an additional $1.1 million in private and state funds for the project with the possibility of another $1 million coming in the form of a Community Development Block Grant.
Construction of individual huts has begun and three are now complete. The shelter’s sleep center and show units have been purchased with grant funds, said Stockdale.
One of the “stickier things” has been securing transportation to the shelter for the homeless without access to a vehicle. Kayak Public Transportation is a possibility, however, Stockdale said it will take some re-working of Kayak’s routes in order to make it work.
In the meantime, Stockdale said the Umatilla Cab Company is one possible option. Atkinson Staffing can also provide vehicles for shuttle service. Jesalyn Cole, executive director of Stepping Stones Alliance, said the group is working on a grant to purchase its own vehicle, as well as a grant for a cooking unit.
Other hurdles include utilities, which the site does not have. Stockdale said a commercial septic system and an onsite well will be installed. The State Historical Preservation Office is also requiring an onsite cultural resource study.
When completed, Project PATH will have an office space with a common area, shower and meal facilities and, at least initially, 12 individual huts. The facility would also include assistance with basic medical, dental and vision services as well as drug and alcohol counseling. Other services would include transportation to work or school.
Another concern is long-term funding. While there is paid staff, Stockdale said the group is working to recruit volunteers to help out at the shelter.
“This kind of service is dead on arrival with volunteers,” he said.
Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann said he was worried that after initial interest, the number of people volunteering could drop off.
“My thought would be looking at long-term budgeting for an expanded staff rather than be dependent upon volunteers,” said Drotzmann.
Cole said there will be an open house in March in an effort to attract more volunteers.
Another quarterly update will be given to the council in three months.
Unbelievable, soon our town will look just like Portland. How many more billions of dollars to we need to spend before you realize that nothing has or will change? Provide drug, alcohol, and mental health treatment nothing else. Stop enabling them to continue to live their chosen life style.
No doubt homelessness is a problem. We need much mental health help besides grouping by age those younger persons to be educated and employed in order to increase their self value.
Today ODOT was measuring to continue a sidewalk on EAST side of 395. Shouldn’t this sidewalk be on WEST side of 395 so persons wouldn’t have to cross the very busy highway? This probably should be reviewed to determine the real value of every dollar spent.
It will not work the way they think it will. Most homeless people do not want to conform to be in the shelter. They like it the way it is, the only thing they see is a free way to get out of the weather. FREE Everything that they can enjoy. It will end up with vandalism and fearful people working there. When all they do is drugs nonstop. Especially if they try to enforce No drugs and they will. They take the entire mess everywhere they go. Including trash and other bodily fluids they don.t care. Next will be random so-called camp fires.
You so called “upper class’ people sure have a low class no class opinion. Not all homeless people do drugs some have had circumstances that contributed to them not having place to live such as injuries that made them unable to work. Stop stereotyping people. It can happen to ANYONE , at anytime even you. You should put your feet in their shoes, literally. It’s time the people of America took care of Americans. Stop sending money to other countries, and help the people right here that desperately need it.
What’s wrong with addressing the homeless issue, helping each other without prejudice, just helping won’t put anyone out, they might learn something from doing one kind deed per day, without wanting anything back. Society isn’t for us to tear apart people, but to help them. What goes around comes around, so posting hateful things about people in need may come back very bad on those who tear people down when they’re already down. Also if you spent more time helping them it’ll surely come back in your lives in a good way. Become the changes you want t see in others.
This is a wonderful thing these people are doing. The homeless need to know that their society and town care about them. The people putting this shelter together deserve alot of respect for this. You do not know how hard it is to be homeless unless you have been in that situation.
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