Washington community seeks strategy on homelessness

Washington area governmental officials and organization leaders are in ongoing talks over how to address homelessness in the area, which they say is becoming a growing problem.

“There had been an uptick in police calls in downtown, specifically when the weather got nice,” Main Street Washington Executive Director Sarah Grunewaldt said after a meeting on Wednesday. “We pulled together and … sat down and said, ‘OK, we have all these issues, we’re all trying to fix them, so instead of working in silos, let’s all pull our resources together to fix our community.’”

The task is easier said than done. Resources for people in need are fragmented between numerous groups, from the faith-based Lighthouse Center shelter, to County Public Health maternal services, to regional mental health centers, among others.

Still, Grunewaldt said a more unified approach was much-needed.

“What resources we have that we’re not utilizing or that we just don’t know exist have really been where these meeting have focused,” she said. “Hopefully that leads to partnerships that create programs naturally and holistically. I don’t think any of our organizations have the resources to create all-new programs, it’s more about, ‘Let’s not work in our own little bubbles.’”

Many at the meeting agreed.

“I’ve looked for resources before, it’s not an easy task,” said Lighthouse Center Director Anthony Cruz, who was once homeless himself. “You get ran in circles a lot.”

The problem itself is equally multifaceted, with countless factors in play.

One of those factors is money. While the Lighthouse Center has a new revenue stream from its relocated and expanded secondhand store, group representatives said they were slowly making returns from that investment, and didn’t have resources to expand shelter hours.

“We did look at keeping the shelter open, but the big hurdle to that is financial,” Lighthouse Center Case Manager Geoff Proffitt said. “We just don’t have resources and staff people to stay there … There was a lot of expense getting (the store) to where it was an actual retail space. That has subsided and things are trending more into that direction, but right now, in the present, we just don’t have the resources.”

Some at the meeting said the shelter’s closure during daytime hours strained other places in the community.

“You’re focused on the individual, but with elected office, I’m forced to focus on the whole and some of the things that we have in the city,” Washington Mayor Jaron Rosien said. “(In) the parks … individuals are loitering, smoking, swearing at the families.”

Those issues are magnified by other systemic problems like the Washington area’s housing and child care shortages. Washington Public Library Director Cary Ann Siegfried said existing public services weren’t equipped to handle displaced populations throughout the day.

“When you take on a client with a six-month-old baby, what do you expect them to do during the day?” she asked. “The result is that our public library becomes a day care center, and we have dirty diapers in the restroom, a crying baby, sometimes spitting up on the furniture … it’s not a good situation for that family.”

Lighthouse Center Resident Staff Member Caitlyn Mayor said she agreed that the situation put some in difficult positions, but that it was important for center residents to go out during the day.

“We all work, we don’t stay home all day long, we go out and do things,” she said. “We want them to go out and look for jobs, look for apartments, make support systems, get involved in things. We don’t have the staff to stay there all day long, but we encourage them to go out and try to better themselves.”

Yet another issue stems from the fact that the Lighthouse Center doesn’t necessarily appeal to everyone. The organization is non-denominational, but still faith-based, and has rules for its residents that, for many, represent a major shift in lifestyle.

“You live by your own rules for years and years,” Proffitt said. “All of a sudden, boom, you’ve got another resource to go to, but (there) are these guidelines you need to operate within to stay there. That’s very difficult for somebody.”

Sarah Grunewaldt said downtown businesses needed to change their mindsets as well.

“God bless our businesses, a lot of them have a really good heart and are like, ‘Oh, sure, I’ll buy you a coffee,’ and then it becomes part of a route,” she said. “If you’re going to contribute, please contribute to services that are helping these people. Please don’t give them money, please don’t give them coffee … it needs to be part of our training for businesses.”

While law enforcement is frequently involved in issues with homeless populations, Washington Police Chief Jim Lester said that needed to stay limited when possible.

“Several communities have panhandling ordinances, they are being all challenged or repealed because of a Supreme Court ruling,” he said. “It's not against the law to be poor … we look at disorderly conduct for being in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, there’s other ways to address trespasses.”

Proffitt said there wasn’t a single solution for such a complex issue, and that a unified strategy would still have to focus on multiple fronts at once.

“It’s all cumulative,” he said. “The more of these one irons in the fire we come up with, the more it’s going to help.”

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com