Commissioner Randy Leonard proposed a controversial deal to
locate a second temporary day-access center for the homeless in Old
Town/Chinatown on Monday, January 7, in a move likely to further piss
off the neighbors.
Leonard’s timing could not have been worse: Old Town businesses and
neighbors are still reeling over Commissioner Erik Sten’s decision last
month to build a permanent day-access center for the homeless on “Block
25″ in Old Town.
Sten was due to meet with Old Town neighbors this Wednesday, January
9, to talk about his permanent day-access center, but thanks to
Leonard’s timing he is now likely to face even louder accusations that
Old Town is becoming a dumping ground for Portland’s social
services.
The new space at 11 NW 5th would supplement the Julia West House on
SW 13th and Alder, which is being funded by Mayor Tom Potter’s Street
Access for Everyone (SAFE) committee. Overcrowding there has been
leading to safety problems, including reported drug dealing.
The SAFE committee, which has been looking for a second center for
several months, will meet at the property next Thursday, January 17, to
take a look at the building and make a decision on whether to fund
improvements to it with $50,000 of the Portland Business Alliance’s
money. The new center would be run with $208,000 of the city’s
money.
Meanwhile, neighborhood stakeholders are concerned.
“This [second temporary center] will make it very difficult for us
to move forward [with the permanent center]. I think this will derail
everything that we’re working on,” said Doreen Binder, executive
director of Transition Projects, Inc. (TPI), on Tuesday morning TPI
will eventually run the new permanent access center on Block 25.
“I honestly feel that this [temporary] center will improve the
dynamic in the neighborhood,” responded Commissioner Leonard. “Any time
you have someone out there doing something proactive about the problem
you have this resistance.”