Waiting for the Next Step after Motel Voucher Program Seemingly Gets New Lifeline
“Currently, we are hanging out to see what happens and gauge the next step,” Erika Minaberry, an advocate for the houseless and a member of RISE said of the new protest movement on Tuesday afternoon.
Red and black flyers shared on social media earlier called it an “Occupy City Plaza” movement, demanding an end to police sweeps and asking for the establishment of a “sanctioned, autonomous safe camp.” The flyer also said it was to “provide a protective barrier around more than 50 women who have been evicted from temporary housing in motels.”
The Washoe County funded program was set up a few months ago through reimbursements to RISE. It’s to help some of the women on the waiting list at the new shelter for women, Our Place. That campus between Glendale and 21st Street run by the non-profit is already full. Yesterday an anonymous source told Our Town Reno RISE had run into cash flow problems to keep the program going, and were funding it themselves in emergency at least for last night.
“RISE does not have the resources to pay for motel rooms up-front,” Bethany Drysdale, the Media and Communications Manager for Washoe County, emailed us this morning. “However, Washoe County is working directly with lodging providers in the region to ensure that no one is deprived of shelter. We mirror the federal commitment to keep people housed, and will utilize FEMA reimbursement for motel vouchers.” Our anonymous source confirmed this was the case.
Drysdale also pointed us to the January 21, 2021 White House memo entitled “Memorandum to Extend Federal Support to Governors’ Use of the National Guard to Respond to COVID-19 and to Increase Reimbursement and Other Assistance Provided to States.”
A sign in table was set up and new donations were sought out. Photo by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno.
A Community Steps Up amid Winter and Shelter Uncertainties
The new movement comes as RISE long an advocacy movement has now also moved into coordinating part of the region’s shelter services with Our Place. It also closely follows a donation drive which led others being extended motel vouchers during a recent string of snow storms. Ground has been broken on a new super shelter at the old Governor’s Bowl location to be called the Cares Campus, but even though a media day for that is being planned for next month, there seems to be a lot of work left to do there.
Plans include a possible area for safe camping. Many people we interview without shelter repeatedly complain local shelters are for the most part too high barrier, with too many rules, too early forced wake ups, and too many restrictions on couples, presence of pets and amount of possessions one can have.
Safe camps and safe parking spaces have long been advocated to decriminalize those without stable shelter when they feel unsafe in regular shelters, unwanted there, or when the shelters are full.
Reporting by Richard Bednarski for Our Town Reno
subscribe to https://ourtownreno.substack.com/ for our free weekly updates