Document text
3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Attorney general investigating Klamath County Sheriff's Office ... Gold Hill couple on trial for child abuse ... Burglars steal 10 laptops from new charter school ... Attorney general investigating Klamath County Sheriff's Office ... Gold Hill couple on trial for child abuse ... Burglars steal 10 laptops from new charter school ... TWO-DAY SPECIAL REPORT: HOMELESS VILLAGES Creating Haven Park The key to providing the homeless a safe place to live is: where By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am » RELATED CONTENT • Eugene's homeless villages: A model for what Medford could do here?... » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Crippled by heart problems and Parkinson’s disease, Joel Roberts lives out of a shopping cart along with his wife, Layne, 7-year-old son Elijah, chocolate lab, Rocky, and two cats. Last week, they camped on the front porch of Set Free Christian Fellowship on West Main Street because they had nowhere else to go. “It’s miserable,” 50-year-old Roberts says. “We came here because the police don’t like seeing shopping carts in the parks.” Roberts, who lost his trucking job several years ago after suffering a heart attack while driving, says he can’t wait until this area can create a homeless camp with tiny houses that would provide a safe place to live for his family rather than living out of a shopping cart. “We’ve lost everything,” Roberts says. “We’ve even been looking for housing for three months but we can’t get anything because of an eviction.” They couldn’t pay their bills when they had a trailer in Talent, he explains. Local organizations are hoping to create a village of up to 30 houses somewhere in the greater Medford area that would be similar to homeless villages in Eugene. The houses are essentially sheds that provide a roof over someone’s head but don't have electricity or running water. Roberts eyes some sheds behind Set Free Fellowship and says, “I would love to live in something like this. I could turn it into a great house for my family.” Layne was working at Harry and David but had to quit because her husband’s health was declining. “Leaving him with our son all day was too much,” she says. Elijah says he doesn't mind sleeping outside at night. “Actually, it’s kind of fun,” he says. “I’m not scared because I have Rocky.” Set Free Pastor Chad McComas, who also is executive director of Rogue Retreat, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing for the homeless, says he felt he had no choice but to let the family stay outside of Set Free last week because it was a desperate situation. “They would be the ideal family for a tiny-house camp,” he says. Rogue Retreat Program Director Heather Everett, who co-chairs the Jackson County Homeless Task Force, says the task force has been meeting with local officials to determine the best location for a homeless camp made up of tiny houses of about 200 square feet each — the size of a bedroom. Everett says the city of Eugene’s successes with creating homeless villages is an example this area could follow and that she shares a sentiment expressed by Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy: “We’ve done a really good job of telling (the homeless) where you can’t be, now we need to tell them where they can be.” Everett says Eugene started its homeless housing program with car camping, but based on the success of the tiny-house program, she says this valley is ready for something similar. “We’re going straight into creating Haven Park,” she says. “We’re going to build on the successes of the Conestoga and tiny-house programs.” Everett says a model of a tiny house has been built locally and was on display during the Central Point parade on July 4. Initially, she says, Haven Park would have about 15 units but could eventually house up to 30. She says Conestoga huts cost about $1,500, while tiny houses that are insulated with a front porch cost anywhere from $3,500 to $5,000 each. Everett estimates the camp would cost the homeless $3 a night per bed to cover operating expenses, or about $90 a month. That amount would cover liability insurance, utilities and other fees. “It’s affordable and economical and it gives them dignity,” she says. The Homeless Task Force has been looking for a suitable location for the camp, preferably in a commercial or light industrial area. Everett says she’s looked at various sites but hasn’t settled on one yet. Her group has met with planning officials to determine what local ordinances would allow tiny houses. Another key is finding a piece of land that is owned by a city or could be leased at virtually no cost, Everett says, since buying land is not in the budget. The project could qualify for grants and potentially raise donations of goods and services, Everett says. Michael LaConte, co-chair of the homeless task force, has been struggling with homelessness since he was 19. At one time, he was married with children. He lives in a six-man tent on the Greenway near Central Point and picks up odd jobs from time to time. LaConte, who works closely with Everett, is one of the founding members of Haven Park, and he is looking forward to the day he can trade in his tent for a tiny house. In September, he says, local law enforcement is preparing to sweep the Greenway and take out the homeless camps. “I want people to know how desperately we need Haven Park for the homeless,” he says. Last winter, LaConte says he counted six homeless people died, possibly from exposure to the elements, but that number could not be immediately confirmed. So far, community leaders have embraced the idea of a homeless village, but LaConte expects many residents may not want a secure homeless village nearby. “I understand you don’t want us in your backyard, but we’re already in your backyard,” he says. LaConte was working construction when he moved to Oregon in 2007. “I had a job, and everything was going for me,” he says. “After I moved up here, things took a turn for the worst.” Ever since, he has struggled to find work, citing his age and his criminal background that he says stems from a time in his late 20s when he had sex with an underage girl. “I’m not very proud of the decisions I made,” he says. LaConte says the total number of homeless, according to counts taken in December 2014 and January 2015, indicates about 800 live in the valley. Close to 400 receive services from various organizations locally. LaConte says the number probably doesn’t capture the total number of homeless locally. Jim Huber, Medford planning director, says he’s looked into the possibility of a designated camping area or a tiny-house project within the city limits. “I think we kind of concluded it would take code revisions for the tiny-house project,” Huber says. He says the project raises questions about land-use regulations, fire codes and building requirements. Huber has been meeting with homeless task force officials to see whether there is a way to make it work in Medford. Medford police Chief Tim George says law enforcement deals with the homeless issue on a daily basis. He says he’s met with homeless advocates who have discussed the tiny-house program and creating camp sites. “The key issue in finding a homeless area is where,” George says. Finding a suitable location that works for the homeless and for local residents will determine the camp's success, George says. The Greenway has become one of the more popular illegal areas for the homeless to hang out, but George says it is not suitable as a campground and can be unsafe for both the homeless and local residents. “It’s a fragile population that needs a place to live,” he says. “It’s a communitywide issue. Everybody’s got skin in the game on this.” Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected]. Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm. By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 24, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501