The reception among neighbors and nearby business owners was mixed then and continues to be tense.
Terry Phillips, a real estate investment broker and president of TOP Property Group, runs his business across the street from the lot. Though Phillips appreciates the city’s efforts to address homelessness, he said he thinks this location will hurt downtown businesses and property values.
“The core of downtown in the historic district is not the place to set up a homeless camp,” he said. “It’s like putting Clyde Drexler, who’s a great basketball player, out on the basketball court with a pink tutu. This is no different. It’s the wrong location.”
Phillips’ neighbor, Sallie Reavey, co-owns a bed and breakfast with her husband called the Briar Rose Inn. For Reavey, her business is not just her livelihood, but her home as well.
“I feel so sorry for my neighbor, whose business would be highly impacted,” Phillips said of Reavey. “Let alone emotional trauma that she’s going through. She has her life investment there.”
When Reavey first heard the city was considering the lot as a Safe Stay location, she said she panicked. She worried she might even have to sell her home if the community is built. But now, she’s beginning to accept the idea, she said.
“Selfishly, if they do put it in, I’m hoping that they put it on the west section of the street, which is shadier for the homeless people,” Reavey said. “I’m hoping that if they do put it up, the exit is not facing my house.”
She also hopes the city will put a fence around the community to help it better blend in with the surrounding buildings and keep it from becoming an eyesore, she said.
Vancouver has two existing Safe Stay Communities, both on public-owned land: the first in the North Image neighborhood, 11400 N.E. 51st Circle, and the second in the Fourth Plain corridor, 4915 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. The villages have 20 modular shelters that can house up to 40 people who are experiencing homelessness, as well as connect them to services that help them transition into housing.
Third-party contractors operate the sites 24/7 and uphold policies that prohibit camping within 1,000 feet of the Safe Stay Community.
How to provide feedback
Those who live or own businesses within 1,200 feet of the proposed site received letters from the city asking for their input during a public comment period. Thoughts and feedback about the proposal can be submitted through Oct. 28 on Be Heard Vancouver, www.beheardvancouver.org/ssc3.
The city is aiming to open the third Safe Stay Community site in December — depending on the public engagement and Vancouver City Council review.
There will be two information sessions where people can ask questions, learn more about the site and meet service provider, Outsiders Inn.
- To attend in person: 9:30-11 a.m. Saturday at City Hall, 415 W. Sixth St. RSVP by emailing Kerry.peck@cityofvancouver.us or calling 360-487-8616.
- To attend virtually: 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday on Zoom. Those who are interested in attending online can do so by using a computer, smart device or phone. Register online at Be Heard Vancouver or by calling 360-487-8616.
To learn more about Vancouver’s homelessness response and register for email updates, visit www.beheardvancouver.org/homelessness-response.
