Group will share details about proposed Asotin County Sleep Center

The Asotin County Alliance for the Unhoused has a clear vision of what a proposed sleep center could offer people who don’t have a place to call home.

But the nonprofit group is missing a key component — land.

Members are actively searching for about 1.2 acres of vacant property near Clarkston where 20 Conestoga huts can be built inside a fenced, secure area.

While preparing for next week’s town hall meeting, Alliance members discussed how the sleep center could benefit the homeless and community at large.

They will present their ideas and plans to the public at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Asotin County Fire Station on Appleside Boulevard. A slideshow and time for questions from the audience are on the agenda. Alliance board members include President Tom Ledgerwood, a retired attorney; Vice President Don McQuarry, a retired business owner; Treasurer Sarah Reaves, a Clarkston resident and experienced grant writer; and Secretary Skate Pierce, a Clarkston city councilor and business owner.

The nonprofit was formed to create an alternative to people sleeping in Foster Park, Ledgerwood said. Lack of affordable housing is one of the factors behind the influx of people camping or couch surfing, he said.

The average rent in Asotin County is about $940 a month, and a person earning minimum wage of $16.28 an hour in Washington can’t afford it, according to the data presented.

During a count of homeless people in January, the number was 124. About 13 “chronically” homeless have been camping at Foster Park on a regular basis, said Clarkston Police Chief Joel Hastings.

Asotin County Commissioner Chuck Whitman said the county has roughly $500,000 available to help fund the sleep center. The money has been accruing through recording fees designated for the unhoused, he said.

Modeled after a similar program in Walla Walla, the Asotin County Sleep Center would offer each unhoused adult a hut with a bed, a storage bin that can be locked and security. No electricity or heaters would be included, and strict rules would be in place, the organizers said.

It wouldn’t be a high-barrier shelter, such as the Union Gospel Mission being built in Lewiston. However, no weapons, smoking, drinking or drugs would be allowed inside the sleep center.

The goal is to get the center open 24 hours a day, but it will begin as a nighttime option only. As funds are secured, through grants and donations, the hours of operation can expand, said Lindsey Cannard of Quality Behavioral Health. It would be the first step toward getting people the help they need.

Finding a location is the big hurdle, Alliance members said Wednesday afternoon. Ideally, the huts will be near public transit, service providers and within walking distance of stores.

Steering committee members said the Clarkston Heights area probably isn’t an option because it’s too far from services. They are searching for property as close to city limits as possible.

“It won’t be in the middle of a residential neighborhood or out in the middle of nowhere,” Whitman said.

Pierce said the city of Clarkston doesn’t have any available property for this project. The Port of Clarkston cannot allow a sleep center on its property because of statutory laws requiring commercial development, and private land in that area is unaffordable.

The Asotin County Jail will be vacant in February when the new jail in the Clarkston Heights opens, and some have suggested using it for homeless individuals. Board members said that option isn’t feasible because the building would require extensive upgrades and expensive renovations to convert it into a sleep center or shelter that’s up to code.

Hastings said he’s spoken to officials in Walla Walla and Moses Lake, where sleep centers have been a success. Most of the people using such a facility, about 70%, are locals with ties to the community.

Walla Walla paved the way for the Asotin County project, the police chief said. Officials there have years of experience with a sleep center and can advise the group on what works best.

One of the important benefits is the wrap-around services offered to people who use the center, Cannard said. Unemployment, mental health, substance abuse, housing and other issues can be tackled when people have a safe place to sleep and an address to use on applications.

Once some land is purchased, the project should take about six months to complete. When it opens, Foster Park will be off limits for overnight camping. It’s the only public park in Clarkston where camping is allowed from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

More information on the proposal can be found online at asotincountyalliance.org.

Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com. Follow her on Twitter @newsfromkerri.