Community Supported Shelters

CSS OFFERS TRANSITIONAL SHELTER, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND SKILL BUILDING TO THE HOMELESS. THE SAFE SPOT PROGRAM IS A MODEL FOR LEGAL AND SANITARY HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS. EACH CLIENT IN THE COMMUNITY RECEIVES ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT FROM A DEDICATED SERVICE TEAM: A CAMP FACILITATOR HELPS THEM FIT INTO A POSITIVE CAMP CULTURE, PEER SUPPORT WORKERS PROVIDE MENTORSHIP AND FRIENDSHIP, AND A SERVICE NAVIGATOR HELPS THEM DEVELOP LIFE-IMPROVEMENT PLANS AND CONNECT WITH NEEDED RESOURCES TO LIFT THEMSELVES OUT OF HOMELESSNESS.

SAFE SPOT COMMUNITY PROGRAM: : FIVE NEW FULL-SIZED SAFE SPOT CAMP COMMUNITIES WERE BUILT OVER THE PAST YEAR. SAFE SPOTS INCLUDE SECURITY FENCING, A COMMONS BUILDING, KITCHEN FACILITIES, PORT-A-POTTIES, AND OTHER AMENITIES, SUPPLEMENTING UP TO TWENTY HUTS AT EACH SITE. THE NEW CONSTRUCTION ENLARGED OUR FULL AGENCY CAPACITY TO 147 HUTS IN EIGHT CAMPS, TWO MICRO-SITES, AND A FEW MINI-MICRO-SITES. CONSTRUCTION WAS FUNDED BY THE CITY OF EUGENE USING FEDERAL CARES FUNDS, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY THE COVID CRISIS BUT WAS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY MASSIVE WILDFIRES THAT DROVE MORE PEOPLE INTO HOMELESSNESS.

CONESTOGA HUT MICRO-SHELTERS: IN THE CITY OF EUGENE, OVER THE PAST YEAR, CSS BUILT A TOTAL OF 91 NEW CONESTOGA HUTS IN FIVE NEW FULL-SIZED SAFE SPOT CAMP COMMUNITIES AND ONE MICRO-SITE. THE NEW CONSTRUCTION ENLARGED CSS'S FULL AGENCY CAPACITY TO 147 HUTS IN EIGHT CAMPS, TWO MICRO-SITES, AND A FEW MINI-MICRO-SITES. CONSTRUCTION WAS FUNDED BY THE CITY OF EUGENE USING CARES FUNDS, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY THE COVID CRISIS BUT WAS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY MASSIVE WILDFIRES THAT DROVE MORE PEOPLE INTO HOMELESSNESS. THE MASSIVE CONSTRUCTION OPERATION TO BUILD SO MANY HUTS AND CAMPS RELIED ON 3,546 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER TIME, OUR IN-HOUSE CARPENTERS, A SUBCONTRACTING ARRANGEMENT WITH ESSEX CONSTRUCTION TO BUILD WALL COMPONENTS, AND SOLID SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF EUGENE WHICH DONATED PLOTS OF LAND FOR US TO BUILD ON.

OUTREACH AND CONSULTATIONS: CSS SHARES INFORMATION AND NETWORKS EXTENSIVELY WITH HOMELESS ADVOCATES AND AGENCIES IN OUR AREA, AS WELL AS WITH GROUPS ALL AROUND THE GLOBE. WE PROVIDE INFORMAL ADVICE, CONSTRUCTION HANDBOOKS AND HUT TEMPLATES, ALONG WITH FORMAL CONSULTATION SERVICES USUALLY VIA ZOOM OR SIMILAR WEB-BASED TECHNOLOGIES. OVER THE PAST YEAR WE SOLD 150 HUT MANUALS IN 39 STATES AND 3 FOREIGN LANDS. FORMAL CONSULTATIONS ABOUT OUR SHELTER MODEL HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITH 10 HOMELESS ADVOCACY GROUPS, RANGING FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA TO KALAMAZOO.

OUR REBOOT HYGIENE/SHOWER STATION PROVIDES SHOWERS FOR ALL OF OUR CLIENTS UTILIZING A SHOWER TRAILER LOANED TO US AT NO COST BY THE CITY OF EUGENE. SERVICE TEAM EXPANSION: THE CSS SERVICE TEAM HAS EXPANDED DRAMATICALLY, WITH A NEW SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEW CAMPS. THE NEW MODEL PROVIDES TEAMS OF CAMP FACILITATORS, PEER SUPPORT WORKERS AND SERVICE NAVIGATORS COORDINATING THEIR EFFORTS. EACH OF OUR THREE TEAMS SERVES ABOUT THREE CAMPS EACH. WE HAVE ALSO EXPANDED OUR DATA COLLECTION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM (HMIS), WHICH SHARES DATA WITH THE CITY OF EUGENE AND LANE COUNTY. WHILE EUGENE FUNDED THE CAMP CONSTRUCTION AND ONGOING MAINTENANCE, THE COUNTY IS FUNDING THE SERVICE TEAM. FUNDING FOR SERVICE TEAM STAFFING FOR THE THREE ORIGINAL, "LEGACY" CAMPS COMES FROM PRIVATE COMMUNITY DONATIONS. THE SERVICE TEAM HELPS CLIENTS REBUILD THEIR LIVES. ASSISTANCE INCLUDES INDIVIDUAL, ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING, COUNSELING, ADVOCACY AND REFERRAL, ASSISTANCE ARRANGING FOR MEDICAL, EMOTIONAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OR DENTAL SERVICES, HELP FINDING JOBS AND HOUSING, AND MUCH MORE. PROGRAM SUCCESS: WE WELCOMED 132 NEW CLIENTS SINCE THE NEW CAMPS OPENED, MOST OF WHOM HAVE FOUND THE PROGRAM LIFE-CHANGING. BY THE END OF FY20-21 THERE WERE 84 PEOPLE THRIVING IN OUR CAMP COMMUNITIES, WORKING ON REBUILDING THEIR LIVES; ANOTHER 25 HAD ALREADY MOVED ON TO CONVENTIONAL HOUSING. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LIVES CHANGED FOR THE BETTER: 109 -- AN 86% SUCCESS RATE.