Ban on Children in Ashland [OR] Shelter Angers Homeless

[Flossie]

Ban on Children in Ashland [OR] Shelter Angers Homeless

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... /312200340

December 20, 2013

By Vickie Aldous for the Mail Tribune

Volunteers who staffed a homeless shelter in a city building on Thursday night said they would not have turned away children despite an Ashland City Council vote earlier this week stating that minors are not allowed.

The volunteers and homeless people staying in the city-owned Pioneer Hall building were sad to see that a mother, father and young boy who had regularly been staying at shelters in city buildings and churches had not shown up at the shelter despite below-freezing temperatures outside.

The family had learned on Thursday morning of the council vote, which came during a Tuesday meeting.

A homeless man named Anthony said he was shocked that kids were banned from homeless shelters held in city buildings.

Anthony noted that even his puppy his allowed in the shelter.

"We look out for our own and we're all family because who else do we have?" he said.

Since last winter, the city has offered shelter in a city building on Thursday nights. Earlier this week, the council voted to begin offering shelter in a city building on Tuesday nights.

Councilor Dennis Slattery brought forward the idea to open on a second night after working on the idea with people concerned about the homeless.

When the topic of children in the shelters came up, councilors reaffirmed the city's stance that minors not be allowed, noting that the city could not guarantee the safety of children.

Community volunteers, including members of the Rogue Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and Temple Emek Shalom congregations in Ashland, have been staffing the city homeless shelters.

John Wieczorek, a volunteer with the Unitarians, had a different interpretation of a city resolution authorizing the shelter nights.

He pointed to language that the city's insurer requires separate sleeping spaces for single men, women and families. The resolution states signs must be posted warning that children must not be left unattended.

At the Thursday shelter, volunteers had posted signs stating that children not be left unattended.

Wieczorek said volunteers would not have turned away the family with the young boy if they had shown up.

"Jesus was a minor," he said, referring to the Biblical story of a pregnant Mary and Joseph searching in vain for an inn before finding shelter in a stable and giving birth to their baby.

City Administrator Dave Kanner stopped in at the shelter and talked with volunteers and others there.

Kanner said if the young boy had been in Pioneer Hall, he would not have thrown him out.

But he said the volunteers' stated refusal to turn away children could mean the council may have to discuss whether the city wants to continue the program of offering city buildings for volunteers to use on shelter nights.

"The city is more sensitive to liability concerns because we're seen as the deep pockets," Kanner said. "People who feel aggrieved like to come after governments."

Homeless people at the shelter said they didn't know where the family was staying the night. The family has a vehicle, they said.

A woman named Simone said she sleeps in a truck that sometimes has icicles on it when there is no shelter night in town.

She called the city rule excluding children "barbaric."

With the council voting to have a Tuesday night shelter, there are now four shelter nights in Ashland.

The First Presbyterian Church of Ashland offers Monday night shelter and Trinity Episcopal Church offers Wednesday night shelter.

A man named Roy said people enjoy seeing the boy during shelter nights. He said the boy is sweet, smiles and has fun playing with the dogs who attend.

Last winter dogs were not allowed in city buildings on shelter nights, but councilors relaxed that rule and allowed dogs this winter.

A young homeless man, Colt Thurber, was playing the piano at Pioneer Hall to entertain the guests. His music became more quiet and soothing as the night wore on.

Thurber said the little boy often sits and watches him play the piano.

"I often wonder what he does when there is no shelter," he said.

Thurber said he was appalled and outraged by the city rule banning children from city shelter nights.

Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-479-8199 or vlaldous@yahoo.com.

[RosyDaisy]

WTF??? Unconscionable!

[Chowder Head]

Any updates on this? That is just stupid.

[Flossie]

I think children are still excluded, but most of the shelters say they will look the other way anyway, and several local churches are setting up alternative situations. It's still a hodgepodge, but people are trying to help.

[Cran]

When you can't guarantee the safety of minors, the best strategy is to turn them away to guarantee they are not safe. Makes perfect sense. Yupp.

:angry-banghead:

On the other hand, I have volunteered with initiatives for the homeless, too, and I know that it is hard because you have to draw a line somewhere. For example ot admitting people with tuberculosis into a shelter because they might endanger others. It often felt like letting people down. even if it was not our personal fault (we offered no shelter ourselves but homeless persons could come in to us and we would phone around and find a place for them to stay).

But what they did... in my opinion, this is abandonment of minors in a dangerous situation, and I suspect in Germany, you could be tried in court for such behaviour.

[Lillybee]

It does get fucking cold in Ashland. My local and only shelter only provides 8 beds for women and children. Boy children over the age of 12 are required to sleep on the men's side. This shelter takes state money to house sexual offenders, btw. When I worked for Social Services, I once had a client make her son dress up like a girl to keep him away from the men.

[Mama Mia]

Most shelters receive their funding from various government sources that are very particular about who is being served. You might get money to house only adults or families with children or women and children. The people who usually hardest to find shelter for are single fathers with children, male/female parents with children and the most difficult ( as mentioned above ) teen boys in families.

I'm surprised Ashland has such extremely limited shelter options! It's a gorgeous town and big enough that I would think they would have more beds.

[NoneandDoneinCali]

I know this sounds cruel (and it is), but as others have said, it's a safety issue. Many women's shelters won't allow adolescent boys either, which means some women have to choose between their own safety (staying in a violent relationship) and abandoning one or more of their children. It sucks, but it's a matter of promoting safety, both physical and emotional. Children are (theoretically) always able to find care (I'm absolutely not saying this is the best choice for every family) through the foster system - there are emergency, temporary beds available through CPS. What needs to happen is a opening a shelter designated to the care of parents and children so they don't have to be separated on top of being homeless.

I know it may look like an easy choice, but if this particular shelter is open to sex offenders (and I'm not saying that's wrong, they HAVE to go somewhere and they're much easier to trace if they avail themselves of social services), staying in a car or placing the kids in temporary foster care while parents stay in the shelter is probably a better option.

[RosyDaisy]

This thread disgusts me. It's proof positive that we actually do need welfare reform. By that I mean expanding it, not killing it.

[duplessis3]

And the city council is right in that it would take only 1 law suit for the.shelters.to be.closed.our city had a great program for families where the families would rotate churches 1 week at a time, lunches given to those working, money management classes and childcare during the day. Someone complained that the.rooms people were sleeping in didn't have two exits available, which is a violation of the fire code. This destroyed the program because so few churches had enough doors in the classrooms

One person griping means 7 families are on the street with no services.

[flojo]

I know this sounds cruel (and it is), but as others have said, it's a safety issue. Many women's shelters won't allow adolescent boys either, which means some women have to choose between their own safety (staying in a violent relationship) and abandoning one or more of their children. It sucks, but it's a matter of promoting safety, both physical and emotional. Children are (theoretically) always able to find care (I'm absolutely not saying this is the best choice for every family) through the foster system - there are emergency, temporary beds available through CPS. What needs to happen is a opening a shelter designated to the care of parents and children so they don't have to be separated on top of being homeless.

I know it may look like an easy choice, but if this particular shelter is open to sex offenders (and I'm not saying that's wrong, they HAVE to go somewhere and they're much easier to trace if they avail themselves of social services), staying in a car or placing the kids in temporary foster care while parents stay in the shelter is probably a better option.

We had this happen. My mother left my abusive step-father with 2 of my younger siblings. My brother at the time was 19. He has cerebral palsy and cognitive difficulties that mean't he still needed shelter and a safe place, but couldn't go with mum and then 2 year old sister. In the end mum contacted a youth hostel and paid for a night, and the staff there were incredibly helpful and amazing - they looked out for him and kept him safe.

It's a hard one, where there isn't an easy answer. An adult male is an adult male, regardless of disability. OTOH, my brother, who is extremely vulnerable due to his disabilities, needed a safe place.

[Shoobydoo]

I know in most cases it is a matter of funding, but I hate how so many shelters are only open one or two days a week. Homeless people are not only homeless on Tuesday and Thursday. I live pretty far north for the US, and every now and then I wonder how many people have died in these ridiculous cold snaps we've been having...