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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 8, 2005 Shelter residents have few options as construction nears By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Ray Harbour thought he’d have more time to find a home for his family. For two weeks, Harbour, his wife and three children have been staying at the St. Vincent de Paul homeless shelter, scraping together money for a local rental. But on Thursday, the 35-year-old security worker learned that the Medford shelter will close next week, leaving them with nowhere to go. "We don’t have any options," said Harbour. "We’re going to be on the street on the 15th." A St. Vincent de Paul organizer confirmed Thursday that difficulties finding a temporary shelter site and a looming construction deadline are forcing the agency to turn away clients. Advertisement "We are going to close temporarily until we find out what’s going on," Shelter Manager Al Zon said. Four families currently in the shelter, including Harbour’s, will be allowed to complete their 30-day stays. St. Vincent’s had hoped to lease a former residential care site in Central Point, but organizers encountered possible problems with city permits and resistance from some neighbors. St. Vincent de Paul is in the midst of a $2.7 million capital campaign aimed at doubling the size of the existing shelter and adding laundry and shower facilities, along with other expansions. To maintain a tight construction timeline, demolition of the existing shelter at 2550 N. Pacific Highway is set to begin by the end of this month, officials have said. Closure of the shelter will eliminate 22 beds for homeless families. Zon has contacted the Salvation Army and the Medford Gospel Mission to see if those agencies can help house clients. Space might be available at the Gospel Mission, said director Bill Gourley, who can host up to 100 people at two sites. "We would be busy, to say the least, but it would be doable," said Gourley, who noted that he’ll work out details with St. Vincent de Paul representatives today. Space is tighter at the Salvation Army, where all five slots in a transitional housing unit are full. The Salvation Army is conducting its own $4 million capital campaign to expand family shelter options. "As you know, there’s just such a need for emergency shelter and transitional housing," said Carrie Hanson, development director for the Salvation Army. That need hits home for Harbour and his wife, Charlotte, who got a $7.25-an-hour job in the deli at a local grocery store. The couple moved to Medford from Alaska to help Harbour’s parents, who are ill, he said. Until they got here, they didn’t realize the price of local housing, said Harbour, father of children ages 14, 7, and 5. "It costs $2,500 to rent a house!" he said. A recent survey conducted by the Jackson County Human Services consortium estimated there are about 1,200 homeless people in the region. Critics argue that actual numbers are probably much higher. St. Vincent de Paul has raised more than $1.2 million in grants from foundations, including local groups such as the Carpenter and Naumes foundations and regional agencies such as the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Zon said closing the shelter temporarily should not worry funders. "These things happen all the time," he said. "You’re temporarily closed for remodeling or whatever." In fact, a spokeswoman for the Gates Foundation said Thursday that the agency remains confident in the project. "Our focus is on supporting creative and effective ways of supporting at-risk families," said Kara Palmer, noting that the Gates grant to St. Vincent totals $300,000. "We trust that the grantees will come up with the best way to solve the problem." In the meantime, Ray Harbour and his family will be working hard to find an affordable rental. "We came down to help our parents," he said. "Here we are, trying to do the right thing, and here we are, stuck." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail Shelter residents have few options as construction nears ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s