Lewiston may raise cap on homeless shelters

The Lewiston City Council signaled Monday that it is willing to raise the 50-bed cap for homeless shelters in city code, potentially opening the door to a shelter run by Spokane’s Union Gospel Mission on Snake River Avenue.

As discussed at Monday’s work session, raising the cap to 100 beds would apply only to so-called “high barrier” shelters that require sobriety and participation in rehabilitation programs for their residents. Mission CEO Phil Altmeyer has repeatedly told the council that his organization’s shelters are of that variety, and have not been detrimental to the neighborhoods they occupy.

Mayor Pro Tem Kathy Schroeder and several other councilors said they opposed a proposal by the city’s Community Development Department that would ban shelters from locating within a quarter-mile of a city park. The proposal was in response to concerns expressed by some residents earlier this year about the mission opening its shelter at the site of its thrift store across from Kiwanis Park, where a playground, picnic shelter and levee path attract hundreds of visitors each day.

But Schroeder said location wasn’t much of a concern for her with a high-barrier shelter that would be managed closely by its operator.

“We need it,” she said. “The city needs it.”

Councilor Bob Blakey also expressed support for raising the cap on beds, adding his desire for a periodic review of each shelter’s operations.

“It’s a need that is growing,” Blakey said. “It’s not going to shrink, and it’s not going to go away. My belief is that this is something we need to welcome.”

And Councilor John Bradbury noted that while North Lewiston residents had legitimate gripes over the now-defunct ROC homeless mission’s effects on the neighborhood, city code should make distinctions between such low-barrier operations that take all comers, and ones like the Union Gospel Mission that provide structured, sober living.

Community Development Director Laura Von Tersch argued for keeping the 50-bed cap since it is already under the 41 beds considered the city’s “proportionate fair share” of homeless accommodations in north central Idaho. The current homeless population of fewer than 150 people in that region doesn’t suggest a need for up to 100 beds in Lewiston, she said.

“If we were to maintain our proportionate fair share throughout the five-county region, then the homeless population would have to go up to about 250,” she said. “So from that point of view, 50 (beds) seems generous.”

Altmeyer attended the work session, and Councilor Cari Miller asked him about a rumor she heard about the mission not admitting clients from the LGBTQ population. Altmeyer said that wasn’t true, but acknowledged the mission does not hire homosexuals. He added that the organization will not hire anyone who doesn’t follow Biblical teachings.

“We discriminate against a lot of people,” he said, citing unmarried couples who live together as an example. “We have the freedom to do that, as a church.”

Bradbury didn’t like that answer, noting that cohabitation without marriage is a personal choice, while sexuality is not. Still, the council was receptive to amending city code to accommodate the mission and others who may open shelters, like the founders of the LC Valley Youth Resource Center who are working toward an adult resource center.

City Attorney Jana Gomez has already started drafting the necessary code changes, which will be brought to the City Council and the Lewiston Planning and Zoning Commission in the coming months. If all goes smoothly, the changes could be finalized before the end of the year.

Mills may be contacted at jmills@lmtribune.com or at (208) 310-1901, ext. 2266.