Participants involved with the development of this Good Neighbor Plan include: Multnomah County, Communtiy and Family Services (CFSD); the Housing Authority of Portland (HAP); the City of Portland, Bureau of Housing and Community Development (BHCD) ; the Portland Police Bureau; Multnomah County District Attorney's Office; Doreen Binder, Transition Projects Inc.; Dan Eggleston and Ann Kloka, Portland Indoor Soccer; Doug Nicoli, Beaver Sales; Jim Holohan, Buckman resident; Andy Eisman, Buckman Community Association; Suzanne Bader, Chuck Currie, Burnside Advocates Group; Southeast Uplift; Roger Jones, Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association; Ken Johnson, Central Eastside Industrial Council; Len Bierlain, Living Hope International; Terry Anderson, Commissioner Gretchen Miller Kafoury's Office; Bob Eaton, Singles Housing Assessment Center.
This list of participants indicates all parties who had input into the
plan. Levels of participation varied as some participants attended only
one meeting while others were involved in an ongoing editing process. This
plan represents compromise for many involved.
Description: On June 5, 1996, City Council passed Resolution No. 35523 which directed the Portland Development Commission to acquire property within or near the boundaries of the Central Eastside for the purpose of developing a 90 bed men's shelter. Resolution No. 35523 states:
"The Glisan Street Facility and the new Eastside facility will each provide 45 year-round emergency shelter beds to meet the capacity guidelines of the Shelter Reconfiguration Plan and each provide an additional year-round overflow capacity of 45 beds. The operations of both shelters will be coordinated to maintain an approximately equal number of clients at each facility.
This shelter will be a short-stay facility to allow individuals to be connected to other services, including housing, job placement, case management and alcohol and drug treatment. All individuals staying at the shelter will be required to sign up for a housing assessment. Individuals who do not sign up for an assessment or miss assessment appointments will be able to stay no longer than two weeks within any one six month period. Intake will occur off-site.
All parties recognize that occasional flexibility in the program will be necessary as the program operator addresses individual needs and circumstances.
1.0 Shelter Advisory Committee
HAP will establish an Advisory Committee ("Advisory Committee") to oversee the on-going property management of the shelter to address any problems which may arise and that are not adequately dealt with by the facility operator.
In the case of an ongoing negative livability impact, shelter management will develop a policy and submit it to the advisory committee for approval. If the Advisory Committee is unable to address the problem, the committee will participate in mediation. If mediation is unsuccessful, the Advisory Committee will approach the jurisdiction responsible for shelter operation, either the County Board of Commissioners or City Council. In the event that the negative livability problem goes to the City Council (mediation fails), recertification of the shelter will be denied until the problem is resolved.
Participation in the Advisory Committee will be limited to no more than 14 people and will include, if possible, 1 Buckman Community Association representative, 1 Hosford Abernathy Neighborhood Association representative, 1 Central Eastside Industrial Council representative, 1 Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association representative, representatives from 3 nearby businesses, HAP, BHCD, Multnomah County, the Portland Police Bureau, the shelter operator, ("Operator"), a homeless/formerly homeless individual, and one representative of a homeless advocacy group.
The Advisory Committee will meet monthly during the first 6 months of Shelter operation. After 6 months the Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting to evaluate the operation of the Shelter and the implementation of the Good Neighbor Plan. This meeting will include members of the Advisory Committee. Those living or working near the Shelter will be invited to attend this meeting.
After the 6 month evaluation, the Advisory Committee will determine how frequently it will meet in the future.
2.0 Communication
HAP will maintain a current phone list that will include the key contacts for the Operator, CFSD, BHCD, and the Portland Police Bureau. HAP will also include a 24 hour emergency phone number. This phone list will be used to control rumors, disseminate information quickly, and enable the Advisory Committee members, the public and the shelter operator to contact the appropriate people when issues or concerns arise. The Advisory Committee will identify neighborhood businesses and neighbors for distribution of a shelter contact list. Affected neighborhood and business associations will have copies of this contact list available at its meetings.
The Operator will issues a monthly written performance report to the Advisory Committee. This report will include information gathered from critical incidents logs or complaint calls received. The report will also include any incidents, issue or complaints that arise for the residents or Operator.
The Operator will to include a copy of the Good Neighbor Plan in employee new hire packets; all employees will be expected to comply with this Good Neighbor Plan. New members of neighborhood association and business association boards will also receive copies of this Good Neighbor Plan.
3.0 Safety, Health, Security and Rules
Residents entering the Shelter will receive information, both written and verbal, regarding the shelter's rules and regulations. All residents will be required to sign an agreement to abide by these rules and regulations.
No violence or criminal activity of any type will be tolerated on Shelter property. No use of alcohol and drugs in or around the Shelter will be allowed. "In or around" is defined as a circumference of 500 feet from the edges of the shelter property and includes both sides of the street in front of the shelter, within the shelter property and within the shelter building. This also includes the grassy area across MLK, under viaducts, and the alley between MLK and Grand next to Madison. Violators will be excluded from the shelter. (Please refer to Section 7.0 regarding the trespass agreement between the Portland Police Bureau and the Operator.)
Shelter residents will be encouraged to travel between the shelter and associated service agencies by using mass transit. Shelter residents will also be encouraged to use the crossing lights on MLK either at Clay or Taylor.
4.0 Loiter Control
The shelter will be open for admission 24 hours a day (until full) in order to eliminate shelter resident queuing on the sidewalk outside the entrance. Shelter residents will not be allowed to queue within 500 feet, including on the sidewalk outside the entrance, along MLK or under the viaducts. No departure and re-entry will occur after 9:00 p.m. Admission after 9:00 p.m. will be based upon criteria developed by the operator and reviewed by the Advisory Committee.
Smoking and outside activities will be permitted outside the building in the fenced area outside the day room and in the interior courtyard area.
The Operator will respond to complaints about shelter residents loitering.
5.0 Litter
The Shelter will keep the premises free of litter, graffiti and shopping carts and will respond to complaints. The Shelter will remove graffiti from its exterior in compliance with Title 14 of the Portland City Code. Meals will be consumed inside.
The Shelter agrees not to provide clothing or bedding to non-residents.
6.0 Shelter Resident Needs
The Shelter will be a place where all residents are treated with dignity and respect.
The Shelter will provide all residents with lockers.
At least one meal will be served in the evening.
Shelter residents who feel harassed by neighbors will talk with shelter staff who will insure the incidents are discussed during the Advisory Committee meeting. The Advisory Committee will respond to these incidents.
The Shelter will have on site laundry and ironing facilities.
The Shelter will have a temporary job board for residents.
7.0 Crime Prevention
The Shelter will establish and maintain an exclusion list that names the inappropriate behavior(s), the names of persons involved and the duration of the exclusion. The Operator will participate in a partnership trespass agreement with the Portland Police Bureau to ensure that those who violate their exclusion order will be arrested (Attachment A).
The shelter operator and interested Advisory Committee members will work with the crime prevention staff from the Community Policing Center to develop a crime prevention training program for staff and residents.
The Operator will have in place written comprehensive security policies and procedures for the Shelter with special emphasis on entering and exiting the shelter, exterior security and policies and procedures that will inhibit loitering, public drunkenness, drug trafficking, weapons and criminal activity. These policies and procedures will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee and attached to the Good Neighbor Plan.
Repeated and substantiated drug and alcohol use in the community would be a cause for exclusion from the shelter. The responsibility for exclusion is with the Operator. Members of the Portland Police Bureau will also have reason to exclude pursuant to Attachment A.
The Operator will work to minimize the impact of shelter residents who have been excluded from the shelter.
The Operator will maintain the exterior security lighting. Any additional lighting needs will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee and installed as necessary by the Housing Authority of Portland. Shelter staff will also regularly inspect the shelter and surrounding property for unwanted uses.
The Operator will do at least a one year background check on prospective employees and hiring will be done pursuant to Operator procedure. The Operator will also work with neighborhood residents to develop a voluntary foot patrol which involves Shelter residents.
The Operator is responsible for maintaining the area around the shelter to be free of litter and graffiti. This extends to 200 feet from the property.
As a member of the community, The Operator will encourage staff and residents to be involved in the community. This includes attending Buckman Community Association Meetings and participating in neighborhood clean-ups.
8.0 Education
The Advisory Committee will take responsibility for responding to community questions about the Shelter.
9.0 Concerns
Other concerns that arise will be brought to the attention of the Operator and the Advisory Committee.
10.0 Mediation
In the event concerns develop that cannot be resolved through existing channels, which includes the advisory committee or simply contacting shelter or Multnomah County staff, all parties will commit to participation in the City's Neighborhood Mediation Program. (Refer to Section 1.0 for neighborhood impacts which are not successfully addressed through mediation).
11.0 Police Contact Office
The storefront space at the Eastside Shelter will contain a small office to be used by the Portland Police Bureau as a contact office. The Housing Authority will allocate a 200 square foot area to a police contact office, including a bathroom, and will also provide vandal resistant glazing and signage. The City of Portland will provide utilities, janitorial service, and at a minimum a telephone hook-up, with the possibility of linking into the shelter's phone line. Community members will work with the Bureau of Police so that the space is utilized as much as possible, however the Bureau of Police can not make specific commitments as to the utilization of the office by officers.
Future Use
In the event that the 200 square foot area is not being used by police officers for a contact office, the Housing Authority of Portland will schedule a meeting to evaluate the use of that space.
STEP ONE: The Housing Authority will notify the Buckman Community Association, the Central Eastside Industrial Council, Southeast Precinct Contact Officer, and any individuals, businesses or groups who have signed this agreement. This group will serve as an advisory committee "committee" to the Housing Authority of Portland in order to determine the use of the space. The Housing Authority will also notify the Shelter Advisory Committee of the situation so that the Shelter Advisory Committee can be informed of possible changes.
STEP TWO: The committee may choose to continue to use the space as a police contact office, the committee may choose to use the space for an alternative use beneficial to the neighborhood, or the committee may choose a different option.
STEP THREE: If this committee is unable to come to an agreement through consensus, the committee will participate in mediation or facilitation. If the mediation or facilitation is unsuccessful, the space will continue as a police contact office for 6 more months.
STEP FOUR: After six months the committee will meet again and re-evaluate the situation. At least 75% of the committee must agree on a solution.
STEP FIVE: If an agreement still can not be reached, the space will continue as a police contact office for 12 months.
STEP SIX: After 12 months, the Housing Authority will schedule a new evaluation starting with step one.
12.0 Agreement
This Good Neighbor Agreement contains all the terms and conditions agreed
upon by the parties and will only be modified by the Advisory Committee.
Signed at SEUL 3534 SE Main Street October 6, 1997
Housing Authority of Portland
Multnomah County Community and Family Services
City of Portland, Bureau of Housing and Community Development
Portland Police Bureau
District Attorney's Office, Southeast Precinct
Buckman Community Association
Hosford Abernathy Neighborhood Association
Hawthorne Boulevard Business Association
Central Eastside Industrial Council
Portland Indoor Soccer
Beaver Sales
Operator