The Clark County Council permitted a movement Wednesday to allocate $4.85 million from the mixed use of psychological well being gross sales tax funds and opioid settlement funds towards town of Vancouver’s plans for a big homeless shelter within the Van Mall neighborhood — if it’s authorized and the cash is obtainable.
These caveats pose a big barrier to that funding. County employees recognized a sequence of potential authorized issues with dipping into the funds for town’s so-called bridge shelter and going exterior the traditional course of for funding allocation.
Some councilors identified the council has beforehand permitted equally located tasks for psychological well being gross sales tax funding exterior the traditional course of, probably inserting the county in sizzling water.
“OK, so past practices might not have been the right practices. We don’t know,” Council Chair Sue Marshall stated.
However Vancouver Homeless Response Supervisor Jamie Spinelli stays hopeful the funds will come by means of for the shelter, which will probably be on the former house of Naydenov Gymnastics, 5313 N.E. 94th Ave.
For nearly a yr, the county council and employees have scrutinized the mission, wavering on whether or not to assist fund the shelter.
Spinelli stated the shelter, which is at present totally funded by means of town, won’t permit non-Vancouver residents if town doesn’t obtain county funding.
Earlier makes an attempt
The shelter is a vital a part of town’s plan to deal with homelessness since declaring a civil emergency in November 2023.
Plans for the shelter embrace 150 beds, on-site medication-assisted drug remedy, companies to assist folks land extra everlasting housing and jail reentry companies.
After figuring out 3 acres within the Van Mall neighborhood as a potential web site for the shelter, metropolis employees went to the county for fast assist shopping for the land by circumventing the same old course of for psychological well being gross sales tax funds, that are collected countywide.
Buying and constructing the shelter will value about $16 million. Working it would take one other $6 million to $7 million per yr. Town requested the county to pay for 30 p.c of these mixed prices — a most of $6 million up entrance and about $2 million a yr after that.
However the council, regardless of making exceptions earlier in 2024 for tens of millions to go to a motel voucher program and a supportive housing mission, made town undergo the traditional course of. A county committee ultimately rejected the mission for funding 5 months later in a closed-door assembly.
With two new members on the council this yr, metropolis employees as soon as once more pleaded for a fast dedication of funding by February. Town can’t fund the total 150 beds with out exterior funding — solely 60 to 90, in response to a letter despatched to the county by town.
After councilors expressed curiosity, town gave the county a sequence of funding choices, together with $4.8 million towards capital and $450,000 every year for 3 years towards working bills (about 7 p.c of the estimated whole operational bills somewhat than 30 p.c).
Newly elected Councilor Matt Little steered the county dedicate $2.1 million of psychological well being gross sales tax funds (half of the funds accessible for 2025) to 3 years of operational funding and spend the left over cash on capital. Then, the county would spend a further $2.75 million of settlement cash from opioid distributors towards capital bills.
County employees identified potential points with utilizing the funds.
Points
Utilizing half the psychological gross sales tax funding leaves little room for different tasks, which have ongoing funding requests totaling about $5 million.
Moreover, Deputy Prosecuting Lawyer Amanda Migchelbrink stated she didn’t imagine it was authorized to go exterior of the traditional course of for funding requests, which might start in spring.
Councilor Glen Yung requested why different tasks had been capable of circumvent the method.
Migchelbrink stated that will have been allowed as a result of including onto already permitted tasks can be allowed. Yung then pointed to the council allocating $2 million in funds exterior of the method for Vancouver Housing Authority’s supportive housing mission known as Lincoln Place II — a brand new mission on the time.
Now, county employees aren’t positive whether or not these funds had been used appropriately.
“I think we want to have someone review that,” Councilor Michelle Belkot stated.
One other subject is that, below state regulation, psychological well being gross sales tax funds can solely be used for “treatment services, case management, transportation, and housing that are a component of a coordinated chemical dependency or mental health treatment program or service.”
Though the shelter could have on-site drug dependancy remedy, Migchelbrink stated county employees are not sure whether or not shelter counts as housing below the regulation or whether or not this might imply solely folks with psychological well being points might use the shelter.
“I don’t think that anyone in this room can make the argument that shelter for the unhoused is not a valid form of mental health treatment,” Yung stated.
County employees additionally aren’t positive how a lot affect the council has over the place opioid settlement funds go as a result of a separate entity known as the Opioid Abatement Council is meant to award the funds.
The quantity of funding accessible and whether or not it could cowl the county council’s $2.75 million request can also be unclear to county employees. The quantity may very well be between $1 million or $4.5 million, employees stated.
All councilors besides Belkot, who abstained as a result of legality questions, voted to dedicate the funding if employees got here again and stated utilizing the funds is authorized.
Though she voted in favor of the movement, Marshall stated she worries about going over the heads of committees.
“I think there is a strong sentiment that their advice is not being taken … in some sense, this is like robbing Peter to pay Paul,” Marshall stated.
Going ahead
Spinelli stated she understands that different tasks want funding, however she believes shelter performs a significant position in curbing the psychological well being disaster. She’s seen the proof in homeless camps.
“If somebody does not have a safe place to be inside there, without question, somebody’s mental health is going to suffer and that compounds year after year after year,” she stated.
County Supervisor Kathleen Otto beneficial to the council that the mission undergo the traditional course of. County employees usually are not attempting to hinder the progress of the mission, Otto stated.
“It’s complicated. … I know there are frustrations,” she stated.
Otto stated officers ought to request that different cities chip in funding, as nicely.
“There’s a lot of opportunity to get things done that doesn’t require this level of commitment (from the county),” she stated.