The Haven

-NO ALCOHOL, DRUGS, OR PARAPHERNALIA ON-SITE

-NO WEAPONS - TURN ANY POCKET KNIVES IN TO STAFF

-NO VIOLENT, AGGRESSIVE SPEECH OR BEHAVIOR (INCLUDES PROFANITY AND HATE SPEECH)

-NO SMOKING (EXCEPT IN DESIGNATED OUTDOOR AREAS AT DESIGNATED TIMES)

-NO IN AND OUT BETWEEN 9:30PM AND 6:00AM

-NO SEXUAL ACTIVITY OF ANY KIND

-NO NOISE AFTER 9:30 PM

-PARENTS TO ACCOMPANY CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES

Whidbey Homeless Coalition has been in pursuit of a permanent location for our emergency shelter since first opening a warming center in Langley, and then partnering with churches in Oak Harbor to operate the Haven in 2017. Current City of Oak Harbor zoning regulations do not allow for a permanent homeless shelter in city limits. We have tried many avenues over several years through city officials to gain the zoning allowance to house our shelter without success. When this grant opportunity came along through the department of commerce, we approached the County to see if we could go through a ZCI (Zoning Code Interpretation) to see if we could operate in a rural zone.

While it is not a regular occurrence that guests need to be transported to the hospital while staying overnight at the Haven, it is nice to know that we will now be quite a bit closer than we had been when the shelter was located outside of Oak Harbor. When we have an emergency situation, we call 911 and stay with our guests until emergency services arrive to assist the guest.

We have a dependable group of volunteers that utilize our vans to get guests transported to and from the shelter. The main group that we work with is the Lions Club, but we also partner with some churches, as well as staff and board members. These drivers make it possible for us to get our guests to and from shelter safely.

The Whidbey Homeless Coalition enjoys working with a large group of volunteers that come to us from up and down the island. Specifically, the Haven has 69 volunteers and partnerships with over 20 church/civic organizations. With this being a more central location, we feel it will encourage portions of our volunteer base that have not previously engaged with the Haven to get involved.

The Haven falls under the description of emergency shelter. Guests must register each night at our registration point to gain access to the shelter. If we are full for the night, prioritization is done using the vulnerability index scale for guests.

WHC does not anticipate a noise level greater than that of the previous operations at the location. Per our rules (above), we have strict policy around arrival/departure, breaks, staffing, and lights out. We do not intend to add any additional exterior lighting to the existing structure, as the existing security lighting will fit our needs. The Haven has consistent policies for rule infractions and consequences. These policies follow county-recommended guidelines and consequences for infractions are given as appropriate to the offense. We work closely with Island County case management to ensure these policies fit guest and community needs. We are currently auditing our policies to ensure they address the new location and concerns brought from the community around security that include staff presence, security cameras, etc. There are plans in place to see about installing security cameras on the property.

We have a dedicated Haven phone that stays with overnight staff. This number is provided to hospital and law enforcement staff. Before bringing a potential guest to the Haven, a phone call is made to check on availability of space and to notify staff that a person will be brought in for services. All staff go through conflict de-escalation training, CPR, mental health first aid training, trauma-informed care training, AED, CORE and several other relevant trainings.

This property is on a 2 party well and the water has been tested for quality.

During the ZCI process, the Navy, as well as several other relevant departments, were consulted on the proposal. They submitted their feedback to the planning department which were taking into consideration when we were awarded the successful ZCI. Many of the concerns that were raised during the ZCI process are currently being addressed. We will continue working to incorporate other suggestions in to the building/program that may come up in this permitting process.

During the day our building will be utilized by office staff as they enter data, file reports, work on grant applications, etc.

Violation of Haven rules result in a separation of services. The Whidbey Homeless Coalition has enjoyed good relationships with law enforcement and, if needed, they are called to remove an individual. All shelter staff have completed de-escalation training and mental health first aid, both of which are utilized until law enforcement can arrive.

RV’s are not permitted to be parked at our facility. RV’s or vans are not permitted to be lived out of at our facility. Select guests that have preapproval to bring a vehicle to the shelter for work reasons will utilize the parking lot and will have a WHC “permit” in their window.

We will continue to work with the county planning department and other entities involved to address any issues with paperwork that has been submitted. Any incomplete or incorrectly filled out documents will be addressed and rectified as quickly as possible.

We do not do any recruiting of homeless individuals from off Whidbey Island. As was stated during the meeting, 79% of all our guests since we opened our doors in 2017 have identified as being from Whidbey Island. We are unaware of who is circulating that information, but we do challenge its accuracy.

We have a variety of procedures in place around COVID including health screenings, smaller groups in vans to be transported to the Haven, spacing between beds, hand washing stations, masks, hand sanitizer, etc. We work closely with Island County Public Health on all decisions regarding the health of our guests.

The term “Sanctuary City” typically refer to issues around the immigration status of individuals. Langley currently is home to one of our shelters, the House of Hope, which has been operational in the city of Langley since 2015.

We do not receive any type of premium of cash incentive to bring more people into our shelter. We enter into grant agreements to provide services and provide those services at the agreed upon budget level.

We partner with a variety of organizations including such as Opportunity Council, Work Source, Island County Human Services, and others. We work with guests on filling out applications, developing resumes, going over common interview questions, accessing identification, acquiring appropriate interview clothes, etc. We also network with local business owners that are willing to give on the job training to bring someone into new fields of work.