Seattle church may take 50 homeless

By Matthew Rodriguez
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The plan, which would relocate homeless people who have been staying in the Public Safety Building downtown, has drawn criticism from some Queen Anne business leaders who say it has come together too quickly and with little notice.

Al Poole, manager of the Survival Services Unit of the Seattle Department of Human Services, said the church has offered to house the people for 90 days. After that, the city would again need to find a place for them.

Demolition of the Public Safety Building has been part of the redevelopment plan for the new Justice Center and City Hall, which opened in 2002 and 2003, respectively.

Poole said he has been working on a tight deadline to relocate the shelter.

Besides housing the 50 homeless people — mostly men — the Public Safety Building also has been used as a "severe weather" shelter for about 75 homeless people from October to March.

Officials with the Pacific Science Center and Seattle Children's Theatre, across the street from Sacred Heart Church, said the proposal caught them off-guard, and they would like more information.

"We knew nothing about it," said Bryce Seidl, president and CEO of the Pacific Science Center. "We would like to be part of the conversation."

Poole met with Seattle Center officials on June 16 and has spoken with several other community groups, he said. Seidl said the science center, however, is not part of Seattle Center.

Kevin Maifeld, managing director for the nearby Seattle Children's Theatre, echoed Seidl's concerns, adding that up to 900 students can attend performances in one day.

"A number of our parents are quite concerned," Maifeld said.

Poole said it would cost about $2,000 a month to house the shelter at Sacred Heart. Larry Pomada, the church's pastoral assistant for administration, said no contract has been agreed upon.

Poole said the move would require extra staffing, which would cost about $6,000 for the 90 days the homeless people are in the old school building at Sacred Heart. Poole said the city would provide the shelter's residents with bus tickets, which have already been purchased at one-fourth of the regular price, for them to travel downtown for meals and services.

Poole said the shelter would be open from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m. He said the Downtown Emergency Service Center would run the shelter and be responsible for screening, including checking residents for drug and alcohol problems and work status, and excluding anyone listed as a sex offender.

Sacred Heart Church already has two programs for the homeless, providing housing for about a dozen families and shelter for 60 to 80 individual men and women, Pomada said. A food bank on the church grounds provides lunches Monday through Friday for 150 to 400 people, depending on the day of the week.

J. David Peterson, president of the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce, said he had not formed an opinion on the relocation, adding, "It did seem a little unusual that it came up on such short notice."

Matthew Rodriguez: 206-464-3192 or mrodriguez@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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