A Current Lack of Shelter Space with COVID-19 Spacing
Of Washoe County's 973 people experiencing homelessness, according to an official pre-COVID count in January, the county's current emergency shelters can only accommodate about 714 of them. That’s a clear lack of shelter options, especially if the number of people experiencing homelessness is seen as an undercount, as most activists who work with people living on the streets would attest.
This comes as the main shelter on Record street has been spaced out due to COVID-19 protocols. The new Our Place shelter for women, seniors and families is also turning away some women due to restrictions. And the big tents on East 4th street remain just a temporary emergency shelter, which replaced the Reno Events Center serving the homeless community at the outset of the pandemic.
In response, Acting Assistant City Manager Arlo Stockham said in a City Council meeting this week that he is pushing for a more permanent solution: building winter-ready shelters at Governor’s Bowl Park. Plans for the site would include two 22,400 square foot sprung structures with more room for "future expansion" and a "flex area."
Some activists have complained the proximity to major highways off of 7th Street downtown is not ideal or welcoming, but plans seem to have been set in motion.
Four examples of sprung structures were featured in Stockham’s presentation. Stockham used this image to demonstrate what a new shelter at Governor’s Bowl Park might look like, touting their relatively inexpensive building costs and durability.
Where to Find the Funding?
During its Zoom-broadcast meeting Tuesday, the Reno City Council took a close look at Stockham’s presentation, even though according to the acting city manager, there’s still no “formal agreement” on its funding.
The county’s CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act) funds were touted as a possibility. According to official documents, the Washoe County COVID-19 emergency pot of money “may be used for medical and public health needs, payroll expenses (for employee services substantially dedicated to mitigating or responding to the public health emergency), economic support, secondary effects and other costs reasonably necessary for government functions.” In August, government documents stated Washoe County was getting over $20 million with an additional $46 million for Reno and $19 million for Sparks, money which all expires at the end of the year.
"We need a permanent long term solution,” Reno Vice Mayor Devon Reese said in support of Stockham. “And if that solution costs us money, it costs us money."
The Governor’s Bowl land belongs to the state and could cost over $2 million. Building the shelter could be in the range of $6 million, according to documents presented.
The Northern Nevada Continuum of Care counts the region’s homeless population once annually. Council members find it useful, but lament that its data, recorded once in January, leaves much to be desired in the later months of the year. Activists repeatedly say they believe these counts are useful, but always miss many people who avoid the process entirely.
Questions and a Sales Pitch
Ward 2 Councilwoman Naomi Duerr pressed the issue of holding more counts, suggesting a second count be conducted later in the year. People experiencing homelessness are more likely to be outside and counted, she said, when the weather is less severe.
There are fears COVID-19, which has sent unemployment skyrocketing throughout Nevada, has created more homelessness amid an ongoing affordable housing crisis.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Neoma Jardon wondered why most shelters typically force people out early in the morning during cold months. Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve stressed the importance of providing adequate services in the new shelter. If the operation is going to be long term, Schieve believes, the city needs to be "thinking bigger and broader."
If “bigger and broader” is the mayor’s goal, Built for Zero’s presentation at the meeting appeared to offer a path toward achieving it. "Ending homeless isn't impossible,” Built for Zero representative Dana Searcy said. “It's already happening."
Built for Zero is an organization run by Community Solutions, a New York City-based non-profit, operating in more than 80 communities that approaches solutions to homelessness from what it says is a data-driven perspective. By gathering information on every individual experiencing homelessness in the region, the community can receive “tailored solutions for individuals and a clearer picture of the system as a whole,” according to the Built for Zero website.
Built for Zero, according to Dana Searcy, is only part of the solution to eliminating homelessness in the communities it serves. “The initial work of Built for Zero is about setting foundations,” she said. “And that does take time to realize.”