City to open fourth Safe Stay Community Dec. 15
December 11, 2023
The City of Vancouver’s fourth supportive Safe Stay Community for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, located on property owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) at 4611 Main St., is scheduled to open Friday, Dec. 15.
Before residents move in, members of the media are invited to visit and tour the site during a community open house from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Dec. 15. Free parking is available in the overflow lot. Download and view a timelapse video of site construction.
At approximately 11:15 a.m., brief remarks will be provided by Governor Jay Inslee, Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle, WSDOT regional administrator Carley Francis and the site provider, Daniel Hovanas, CEO at Do Good Multnomah. Residents are scheduled to move in following the open house and the site will not be available to the media while residents move in.
This is the fourth of several supportive sites the City is establishing as part of its Homelessness Response Plan. The Safe Stay Community, managed by the nonprofit Do Good Multnomah, will be home to 20 temporary modular structures that will house up to 40 residents. The temporary community will improve health, safety and cleanliness for both housed and unhoused community members by:
- Offering residents greater access to services, increased stability, and safe, healthy, and humane living conditions to help transition out of homelessness
- Providing onsite restrooms and showers for residents
- Prohibiting camping within 1,000 feet of the site
The City’s Homelessness Assistance and Resources Team and local nonprofits have worked to relocate unhoused residents, prioritizing those living in camps in the downtown area, to this site.
Learn more about the background of Safe Stay Community 4.
This Safe Stay Community builds off the success of the City’s three existing Safe Stays located in east, central and downtown Vancouver. These communities have served more than 206 people and as of Aug. 31, have helped 48 residents gain employment; and placed 73 in stable housing. Watch success stories.
Emergency Declaration to address growing homelessness crisis
While the City and other partners continue working to address homelessness, the complexity and magnitude of the issues related to homelessness continue to grow in Vancouver. To enable the City to continue its urgent response, on Nov. 6 the City Council passed an Emergency Declaration to allow the City Manager to immediately issue emergency orders that provide the speed and additional tools needed to address the evolving issue of homelessness.
The first report on actions taken during the emergency declaration was provided by staff during the Dec. 4 City Council meeting. In the first 30 days since declaring a homelessness state of emergency, The City accomplished several key actions to address the impacts of houselessness on both our unsheltered and sheltered community members.
Read the first situation report.
Contact: Tim Becker, Strategic Communications Manager, tim.becker@cityofvancouver.us