NOTES (Part 2); Silver Cloud Homeless Housing Community Meeting

Two staff members man the remodeled front desk. 

Will the studios be as nice?

It's one thing to provide the "low barrier" HTH Silver Cloud building for housing chronic, disabled homeless, it's another to care for them.  I attended the Salvation Army's first community meeting and took notes addressing the "care and rehabilitation" provided by the Salvation Army, as follows: 

• HTH care facilities are modeled after "Don's Place" in Auburn.
• Ms. Cook, administrator of "King County Regional Homeless Authority" said twice the Silver Cloud building is "low barrier" meaning there will be no discrimination against homeless residents taking street drugs, excessive alcohol, and/or with serious mental illness.  
• Currently, the residents are housed in rooms, with rights of tenancy under emergency conditions.  Once the studios are fully occupied (with 100 residents) they will be permanently supported with:  24/7 wrap-around services including 11 support staff, 4-5 case managers, three meals a day and more. Until full occupancy the HTH building called "Haven" will operate under emergency conditions.   
• It appears nonprofit support services like "4 Tomorrow,"  and "Nourishing Networks," will volunteer.  Currently "life skills" are on the weekly calendar. Yoga was mentioned.  No A.A. 
• Behavioral health was a key topic since ~ 70% of homeless have a mental health condition and often treat their sickness with street drugs. "Harm reduction" service will be minimal until the building is fully staffed. 
• City of Redmond Fire mobile behavioral health is available for crisis response. A psychiatrist was mentioned.  Ms. Cook said funding is not a problem for services, however Matt said money "will have to be carved out" for mental health care owing to poor Medicaid reimbursement. 
• Primary care will be available, but no details. 
• Matt said there would be transparency on "Code of Conduct."  A man dressed in old "Security Officer" clothes was standing in the parking lot.  He could have been a resident-in-training.  

Reported by Bob Yoder, 8/4/2024

Part 1 Notes on Community Meeting

Photo by Yoder

My last report will be a personal opinion focusing on delays and purpose.