Daytime Storage for Homeless Population

What?

▪ A location downtown on Railroad has been donated

▪ Would be a locked storage area dedicated to holding peoples belongings during the day

▪ Space is 47 feet long, 13feet wide and 9 feet tall

Idea

To build a structure that’s tailored to fit carts and storage bins

According to measurements a minimum of 15 spaces for carts and 15 spaces for bins could be built within structure

Shelving would be in place to hold bins above carts

Once started, people who leave their possessions would get assigned a space for the day (Using a numbering system)

There will be 2 designated times for people to drop off items, 1 in the morning and 1 in the evening (times tailored to food programs, etc.)

Continued…

▪ Storage space would be run by volunteers

▪ We hope to acquire a fair amount of volunteers to reduce frequency individuals would need to go (WWU Service Learning Center idea)

▪ People will be given a card with their assigned number to ensure possessions are theirs

▪ No one is allowed inside the storage space except for volunteers

▪ Clients can organize how they want their things within the bins/carts but volunteers put them in actual spots

How to make this happen!

▪ Option 1: Build structure out of wood. In order to build a structure that can withstand continual use and poor weather. If materials are bought at Home Depot, they can cut custom pieces of wood for structure. I talked to a professional and he estimated that it would cost about $40-50 a space for proper materials. ($50x 15 spaces = $750) total cost.

*I have more specific information on wood size, cost per sheet, etc.*

▪ Roughly $750-800 is needed to get materials to build structures and to acquire storage bins.

I would call organizations such as boys &girls club or boy scouts, etc. to volunteer time to build structure.

▪ I was thinking we could ask local businesses to fund a space to be built by giving $50 to the cause. I also have people I have talked to about the idea who are willing to donate funds to help make it happen. Raising enough money would be a challenge but not impossible!

▪ Option 2: Open to other ideas!

Protocol

▪ First come, first serve basis

▪ Required that a person checks-in every 24 hours in order to keep slot ( no time limit for holding space)

▪ Only one space per person is allowed

▪ On their first day using a slot, a picture will be taken along with information about the person such as:

-Full name -Date of Birth -Slot number

▪ All data will be entered into a spreadsheet to track information

▪ Can check in during hours storage location is open or through a phone message line

What happens when check in doesn’t occur

▪ Move items to trash bag

▪ Store for 48 hours after initial check-in time is missed

▪ If not picked up, items will be thrown away

*Will check daily jail roster*

▪ Will provide an option to add a person to access space (fill out paperwork for this)

Organization of Space

▪ Cart spaces will be in numbered 1-15 and in section A

▪ Bins will be numbered 16-30 and in section B

▪ Backpack storage will be numbered 31-40 and in section C

▪ People will be given a card of some kind with their slot number

▪ Open daily from:

7-8 am and 4-5 pm (rough estimate)

Restrictions

▪ No perishable food

▪ No weapons

▪ No illegal drugs or alcohol

▪ No flammable materials

▪ No used syringes

*We will not be going through peoples possessions and don’t anticipate this being an issue. If it is, we will call the proper services.

*INSERT SCANNED DOCUMENT*

Unanswered Questions

▪ Will this turn into a dumpsite?

▪ Will this be a gathering site at those given times for illegal activity?

▪ Will this increase police calls?

*We don’t anticipate any of these things occurring. This service is highly needed by the homeless community and will hopefully be a positive experience/resource for them.

Benefits for Community

▪ Decreases the number of carts around businesses downtown

▪ Less need for services: Less police calls and less trespassing charges

▪ Less frustration from business owners

▪ Cleans up downtown area

▪ Decreases public waste

Benefits for Homeless Population

▪ Reduces stress over leaving items unsupervised

▪ Helps people focus on things that bring them to stability

▪ Reduces danger of possessions being stolen, damaged, or thrown away

▪ Less physical strain when people don’t have to carry all their possessions everywhere they go

▪ Reduces stigma for population because they won’t always “appear” homeless

▪ More opportunities to fulfill daily tasks

▪ Opens up possibilities such as: using public restrooms and more acceptance from public

▪ Helps keep track of important documents that connect them with services

“For people who suddenly find that their belongings belong to the street, priority number one is making sure those things are not lost or stolen—and that's a full-time job.”

What this service provides

▪ Gives homeless individuals more dignity and decreases stigmas held against them

▪ Allows for service providers/ volunteers to check-in and interact with the homeless community on a regular basis

▪ Provides peace of mind for the homeless

▪ Decreases amount of carts around town

▪ Decreases the amount of waste and the amount of calls to the police

Places Already Providing this Service

“San Diego's Transitional Storage Center provides more than 350 bins for homeless residents to stash their things. Each bin holds up to 96 gallons. People assigned a bin can check into their possessions during morning and evening windows—before and after work. Two full-time employees mind the facility; presently, there are more than 120 names on the waiting list for a bin.” (Capps, 2014)

Vancouver has launched a similar program where people can store carts, luggage, and anything else they may need (Kate visited location).

Portland, Oregon developed a service to store up to 50 carts

St. Petersburg, Fla., New York, Virginia, San Francisco and Chicago are amongst other places who provide storage facilities for the homeless.

Funding

▪ One location got funded after a class-action lawsuit occurred when roughly 3 dozen homeless people’s possessions were taken and destroyed by the Environmental Services Department. After that, the city promised to use funds to create a better option for storage ( San Diego).

▪ Another was funded through an online campaign where anyone could donate money to make their storage method possible.

▪ Other places received funding from their Cities

Hope Lockers Video

▪ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJRX9YmbHyE

Questions??

Resources

Capps, K. (2014). Can cities ease homelessness with storage units? Retrieved from: http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2014/08/cities-can-ease-homelessness-with-storage-units/379073/

Indiegogo (2015). The h.o.p.e lockers-storage for slc’s homeless. Retrieved from: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-h-o-p-e-lockers-storage-for-slc-s-homeless

Kendall, M. (2010). More cities offer more homeless free storage to ease mobility. Retrieved from: http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-11-18-homelessstorage18_ST_N.htm