09/12/1990 Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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e vote on this issue, but noted that there appears to be a lack of support on the council for the campground proposal. He suggested that the council immediately begin discussing the "night shelter" proposal so that it would be available to serve homeless families this fall. Mr. Bennett said that the Social Goals Committee recognizes the extreme seriousness of the homelessness problem in our community. He spoke about the conflict which exists in housing provision between the needs for emergency shelter versus permanent housing. Because of the City's costs and liabili- ties associated with a campground, Mr. Bennett said that he could not support the campground as a solution to the problem. Ms. Schue concurred with Mr. Bennett on the seriousness of the housing prob- lem and agreed that a temporary campground is not the best solution. She offered her support for the "night shelter" program, recognizing that it, too, has problems. She noted that several churches have volunteered their parishes for night shelter and pointed out that homeless families will also need a minimum level of services during the day. Speaking as the council's representative on the Housing Policy Board, Ms. Bascom said that the City has a number of housing projects for low-income families which are nearing completion, evidence that the City is making some headway toward long-term housing solutions. She agreed with Mr. Bennett that funding for emergency housing should not be taken from the City's financial resources for providing permanent housing. e Mayor Miller pointed out that the campground proposal has sparked a great deal of interest and education in the housing problem in the community. He emphasized the importance of finding a solution to this problem quickly and asked about the City's ability to find temporary shelter for homeless fami- lies this winter at a level higher in quality than a campground. In re- sponse, Mr. Gleason said that the City hopes to have the "night shelter" available by Thanksgiving. Mr. Holmer stated that the homelessness issue is an immediate problem that needs an immediate solution. He advised the council that the issues of day- and night-time shelter should be addressed concurrently. Mayor Miller summarized the council's position on this issue. The council directed that the City Manager report back to the council in mid-October on the progress being made to address this problem, with the possibility of a shelter opening in late November. Mr. Miller asked that the proposed solu- tion meet the housing goals identified by the homeless mothers in their report at a higher level of quality than the campground proposal. Mr Gleason indicated that intergovernmental work on this issue has already begun. Mr. Boles moved, seconded by Ms. Schue, to instruct the City Manager to work with the Homeless Mothers Task Force and other interested parties in the community to generate a e MINUTES--Eugene City Council September 12, 1990 Page 2