Washoe County's Bethany Drysdale Answers (Some of) Your Questions about the Cares Campus

We recently got to go on our first tour of the Cares Campus, and asked the community if there were any questions they would like asked.

Television crews got priority for questions as the tour ended, and time was running short, so we emailed a list of your questions which Washoe County officials said they preferred to respond to by email. This often leads to answers with careful, administrative language, as you’ll see in this report. 

We prefer in person interviews during which we can read body language and also ask follow up questions if we want to dig deeper, but we will take the information we can.

Several of the questions we asked by email concerning details of current and future finances, and where money is coming from, were not answered, even after several follow ups.

We did get indication that Volunteers of America and Karma Box Project will remain as operators of the shelter and the ModPod camp. 

“Washoe County Housing and Homeless Services (WCHHS) follows all local, state and federal regulations governing procurement as applicable. For both the Safe Camp and Emergency Shelter operator, an RFP was released as part of a competitive procurement,” Bethany Drysdale,  the Media and Communications Manager, wrote as to that process. 

We haven’t been able to find financial disclosures or salaries yet concerning Karma Box Project, but we will keep looking.

“For the Safe Camp, only one proposal was submitted by Karma Box Project.  It was a responsive and responsible proposal and we engaged contract negotiations,” she said. The Karma Box Project will be paid a little over half a million dollars per year, in a contract to operate the camp which could run until the end of June 2026. We have yet to be able to find salaries within Karma Box (see above).

“For the Emergency Shelter, two proposals were received, one from Volunteers of America and one from Adams and Associates,” Drysdale said. 

A May Washoe County staff report recommended to go with VOA until the end of June 2024, for $6.5 million annually, with the option to renew for three one-year periods thereafter.  Several employees of VOA Northern California and Northern Nevada make over $200,000 which local advocates for the unhoused have indicated feels excessive.  

The inside of the Cares Campus remains bare with staff working at open desks, right by rows of crammed metal beds.

Amid reports of women feeling threatened, Drysdale said this has been taken into consideration. 

“We have added security measures such as the bag scanner and metal detector at the entrance, and added more security personnel,” she wrote. “We try to get women into Our Place or other areas of assistance, but we will not turn women away, so it’s important to separate the men’s and women’s sleeping areas.”

Concerning requests for law enforcement and emergency services, Drysdale said “staff utilize the new REMSA Nurse Helpline for triage and 911 for emergencies. For medical emergencies REMSA and City of Reno Fire Department are dispatched. Additionally, Mobile One Docs are on site several days a week and soon will be present five days a week offering medical care to participants. Staff calls 911 for emergencies, as the Nevada Cares Campus is a Washoe County facility the Washoe County Sheriff's Office responds when dispatched.”

The tour took place during a cleaning day.

We also got some answers and promises to address the problem of the persistent lack of running water on the compound. 

 “Is there now safe running water for the compound's water supply, and/or drinking fountains rather than buckets being filled as was the case initially?” we asked.

Drysdale wrote back:  “Drinking water (including bottled water and water dispensers) is currently available on site. Construction starting at the Campus has allowed for a temporary refillable water station with plumbed water to be installed – we anticipate this to be ready the beginning of August. The new buildings will include several different refillable water stations.”

We will check back in August to find out if this water improvement is in effect.  

Drysdale said there is already guest Wi-Fi available that people can access. She also wrote the campus is ADA compliant for all services available, including for people in wheelchairs and walkers. “Both Case Management and Behavioral Health services are available to all participants,” she wrote.

“Are there available clothes at campus for people to change into if they have accidents?” was another question from the community we relayed to her. “The Campus has spare clothing on site,” Drysdale wrote. “However, if clothing is not available for any reason such as size, staff will coordinate with Catholic Charities to assist.

As far as questions on success rates for people going from the campus to housing in the past year, Drysdale sent the above graphics.

Amid concerns for those who are temporarily excluded or “86’d”, Drysdale said they can still access their mail.  “Does the County find that expelling people for a few days or longer is effective?” we also asked?

“Sit-outs are designed around best practices and are established for the safety and wellbeing of everyone on Campus,” Drysdale wrote back. “Participants are able to appeal the decision and provide input as to why they should be allowed back earlier than their sit-out time.”

 Concerning food being served at the campus, which has often been criticized in our interviews with people staying at the compound as unhealthy, Drysdale said: “Catholic Charities, a nonprofit organization, through its St. Vincent’s Dining Room, continues to provide both a hot lunch and a hot dinner meal to the Nevada Cares Campus emergency shelter. Since initial concerns of the meals, staff has not heard additional concerns from participants. Additionally, through process improvement measures, Catholic Charities now identifies each meal before serving.”

Would-be volunteers also asked how they could help, or if they can go into the compound and meet with a person.

“We have invited and continue to invite volunteer groups to sign up for volunteer opportunities on our Community Engagement page, on the Washoe County Housing and Homeless services site, under Nevada Cares Campus. If volunteer groups would like to organize a special event on Campus, they are welcomed to select “Other”. Our volunteer coordinator reaches out to plan and organize special events. To sign up, please visit this page, here,” she wrote. 

Do you feel some of your questions were answered? Do you have any more? As always, let us know. We are trying to foster more transparency, empathy and progress in how this community helps the unhoused, including at the still very much work in progress Cares Campus.

Our Town Reno report, July 2022