I
I ALMOST
I ALMOST ALWAYS READ A COUPLE OF THEM AT THE END OF THE SHOW.
SO USE THAT HASHTAG HEY DAN OR
EMAIL THE STORY AT KGW DOT.
LET'S GET TO A QUESTION RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. ACTUALLY THIS ONE COMES FROM
ROSE.
ROSE.
ROSE. SHE
ROSE. SHE SAID IT TO THE STORY AT KGW
DOT COM AND ASKED WHAT IS
HAPPENING WITH THE WHOPPED O.J.
OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED NOW.
IS IT FULL?
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, ROSE.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN GETTING
THAT ONE A LOT.
HE WAS PUT TO JAIL.
IS THAT BIG BEIGE EMPTY?
WELL, JAIL THAT WAS NEVER
ACTUALLY A JAIL IN NORTH
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND.
PORTLAND. IT WAS BUILT IN THE 90S AND IT
SAT EMPTY FOR DECADES UNTIL A
DEVELOPER BOUGHT IT A COUPLE
OF YEARS AGO.
THEN HE GOT A NONPROFIT ON
BOARD TO RUN IT AS A SHELTER
AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO OPERN
LAST MONTH.
LAST MONTH. PEOPLE WERE REALLY RELIEVED TO
HEAR ABOUT THIS BECAUSE YOU
KNOW, AMID THE PANDEMIC AND THE
NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING ON OUR
STREETS APPEARING TO GET WORSE,
THEY NEEDED SOME HELP AND WE
GOT WINTER ROLLING INTO THE
CITY COUNTY NEEDING MORE SPACE
TO HOUSE PEOPLE AND SOME OF OUR
COLDEST NIGHTS.
COLDEST NIGHTS. SO WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH
WAPELLO?
WAPELLO?
WAPELLO? OR RATHER WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH
THE BYBEE LAKES HOPE CENTER AS
IT'S CALLED NOW?
HERE'S MAGGIE VESTAVIA.
>> WE'LL START WITH A BIG
STATEMENT.
STATEMENT. WHAT BEATO JAIL IS NO MORE.
THIS IS THE BYBEE LAKES HOPE
CENTER NOW AND YES IT IS OPERN
AS A HOMELESS SHELTER.
IT'S RUNNING AT 25 PERCENT
CAPACITY RIGHT NOW DUE TO
CAUVIN RESTRICTIONS AND ONGOING
RENNOVATIONS.
RENNOVATIONS. THESE PHOTOS TAKEN BY STAFF
GIVE US A GLIMPSE INSIDE.
>> I WAS THE FIRST ONE HERE.
WE MET TWO OF THE ROUGHLY 25
RESIDENTS UNTIL RECENTLY BOTH
WERE HOMELESS IN PORTLAND AND
STRUGGLING WITH ADDICTION.
>> THIS SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY
PLACE THAT'S SAFE.
NOW THEY'RE IN RECOVERY AND
CREDITING THIS ONCE JAIL WITH
ITS ONSITE TREATMENT PROGRAMS
AND JOB TRAINING WITH HELPING
THEM GET CLEAN.
>> YOU'RE NOT JUST A NUMBER IN
A SHELTER THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY
A PERSON THAT MAKES A
DIFFERENCE.
DIFFERENCE. IT'S GOING WELL.
IT'S GOING VERY WELL FOR THOSE
WHO DON'T KNOW THE BACKSTORY.
>> ALAN EVANS OPERN BYBEE LAKES
HOPE CENTER LAST MONTH.
ONCE HOMELESS HIMSELF, EVANS
RUNS HELPING HANDS REENTRY
OUTREACH, A NONPROFIT OUT ON
THE OREGON COAST A.K.A. HE HAS
EXPERIENCE RUNNING SHELTERS AND
THAT WAS CRUCIAL BECAUSE THIS
PLACE HAD SAT EMPTY FOR DECADES
.
.
. >>
. >> BACK
. >> BACK IN THE MID 90S VOTERS
APPROVED A 46 MILLION DOLLAR
BOND TO BUILD THE JAIL.
BUT THE MONEY WASN'T EVER THERE
TO RUN IT.
SO THE COUNTY KEPT IT EMPTY AND
WAITING.
WAITING.
WAITING. THAT IS UNTIL 2018 WHEN LOCAL
DEVELOPER JORDAN SCHNITZER
BOUGHT IT AND RAISED THE MONEY
TO OPEN IT AS A SHELTER FOR
PORTLAND'S GROWING HOMELESS
POPULATION.
POPULATION. EVANS SAYS THE CONNECTIONS THAT
DEAL BROUGHT PAID OFF.
RESIDENTS HERE ARE GETTING FULL
TIME JOBS WORKING FOR MAJOR
COMPANIES LIKE COLUMBIA AND
AMAZON.
AMAZON.
AMAZON. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN GOING
EXACTLY HOW WE THOUGHT IT WOULD
GO.
GO.
GO. >>
GO. >> MORE PEOPLE ARE COMING TO
SUPPORT AND DO A WALK THROUGH
THE TRULY SEE WHAT IT IS THAT
WE DO AND WHAT MAKES US
DIFFERENT FROM EVERYBODY ELSE.
THAT INCLUDES DAILY HOT MEALS
FROM THIS FOOD TRUCK IN THE
PARKING LOT.
PARKING LOT. >> THAT'S JUST UNTIL THE
KITCHEN GETS RENNOVATED AND
RESIDENTS ALSO GET FREQUENT
VISITS FROM AUGUSTUS.
THE THERAPY DOG HE BELONGS TO
EVANS AND CAME OUT TO SAY HI.
ALL THAT SUCCESS IN MIND.
I ASKED EVANS THE QUESTION ON
SO MANY VIEWERS MINDS.
THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE SHORT
ON SEVERE WEATHER SHELTER
SPACES MEANING WHEN
TEMPERATURES DIP BELOW FREEZING
THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH BEDS
FOR OFFICIALS TO GET EVERYONE
INSIDE.
INSIDE.
INSIDE. SO CAN BYBEE LAKES SOLVE THAT
PROBLEM?
PROBLEM?
PROBLEM? UNFORTUNATELY.
UNFORTUNATELY. NOT QUITE.
NOT QUITE. HE SAYS FOR TWO REASONS PEOPLE
HERE HAVE TO AGREE TO BE CLEAN
AND SOBER AND THERE ARE STRICT
COLVARD PROTOCOLS.
COLVARD PROTOCOLS. >> WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT
THERE'S AN ASYMPTOMATIC
PRESCREENING BEFORE THEY GET
REFERRED TO US.
IT'S REFERRAL SO WE CAN'T JUST
GET A VAN, PICK SOME PEOPLE UP
AND SHOW UP AT OUR DOOR.
IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY.
>> IN OTHER WORDS, STAFF
BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING
AND THEY'RE PROTECTIVE OF THOSE
ALREADY HERE GIVES YOU A FAIR
CHANCE OF GETTING BACK INTO
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY. >> OK, MAGGIE VESPER JOINING US
NOW OUTSIDE OF THE BYBEE LAKES
HOPE CENTER.
HOPE CENTER. WE'VE HEARD WHAT THEIR ABILITY
IS TO HELP OUT DURING THIS
CRISIS BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT
KIND OF THIS LACK OF SEVERE
SHELTERS CENTERS SEVERAL
DIFFERENT TIMES AND EVERY TIME
WE DO WE GET A BUNCH OF IDEAS
FROM OUR VIEWERS ON THINGS THAT
MAYBE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
I WANT TO READ A COUPLE OF THEM
AND SEE IN YOUR OPINION IF THEY
ARE VIABLE OR IF ANYBODY IS
ACTUALLY RESPOND TO THESE KINDS
OF IDEAS.
OF IDEAS.
OF IDEAS. JOANNE WROTE IN AND SAID THERE
ARE SEVERAL VACANT KMART BOX
STORES WITH LARGE PARKING LOTS.
THESE BOX STORES COULD BE
CONVERTED TO SHELTERS, THEIR
KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS AND
TENTS AND PORTA POTTIES COULD
BE SET UP IN THE PARKING LOT.
NUMBER TWO THIS ONE COMES FROM
ARLENE.
ARLENE.
ARLENE. SHE WROTE SINCE MANY PPD
SCHOOLS ARE NOT OPERN COULD
HAVE.
HAVE.
HAVE. COULDN'T WE JUST OPEN THE
GYMNASIUMS AND USE THEM TO
SOCIALLY DISTANCE AND HOUSE
HOMELESS PEOPLE TO GET THEM OFF
OF THE STREETS THIS WINTER?
WE GET THAT SECOND ONE A LOT.
PEOPLE ARE OFTEN SUGGESTING
THAT THAT WE USE SCHOOLS TO
HELP OUT HERE.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THESE
VIABLE OPTIONS?
VIABLE OPTIONS? YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. SO
YEAH. SO WE SAW THOSE E-MAILS AND WE
SO APPRECIATE THEM.
OUR VIEWERS ARE AWESOME.
I FORWARDED BOTH OF THOSE
SUGGESTIONS TO THE JOINT OFFICE
OF HOMELESS SERVICES AND A
SPOKESPERSON GOT RIGHT BACK TO
ME AND SAID YEAH, THOSE ARE
GREAT IDEAS.
GREAT IDEAS. THOSE ARE GREAT OPTIONS.
WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO WAS THE
OWNERS OF THOSE BUILDINGS HAVE
TO BE THE ONES TO OFFER THEM
UP.
UP.
UP. SO
UP. SO IF
UP. SO IF IT'S A BOX STORE THAT'S
OBVIOUSLY PROBABLY A PRIVATE
OWNER OF SOME SORT.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE
SCHOOLS THAT'S PORTLAND PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS. THAT'S THE DISTRICT.
I ALSO EMAILED THEIR
SPOKESPEOPLE, THEIR
SPOKESPEOPLE, THEIR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM AND ASKED
ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK YET.
I'LL LET YOU KNOW IF AND WHEN
WE DO.
WE DO.
WE DO. BUT I DO WANT TO POINT OUT WE
APPRECIATE THESE IDEAS SO MUCH.
THEY'RE SO GREAT TO SEE.
BUT THIS IS KIND OF LIKE THE
ONE TIME THAT THE TEAM AT THE
STORY IS SAYING Y'ALL CAN SKIP
US, DON'T E-MAIL US.
IT'S OK.
IT'S OK.
IT'S OK. YOU CAN EMAIL THE JOINT OFFICE
OF HOMELESS SERVICES ON YOUR
OWN AND SUGGEST THESE IDEAS
STRAIGHT TO THEM.
IT'S WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO.
THAT'S THE EMAIL ADDRESS RIGHT
THERE.
THERE.
THERE. IT'S J O H S AT MOLT CO DOT US
LIKE JOINT OFFICE HOMELESS
SERVICES AT MOLT CO DOT U.S..
SERIOUSLY THEY WANT YOU TO
EMAIL THESE IN.
AND DAN I MEAN WE'RE JUST KIND
OF DRIVING THIS HOME ONCE AGAIN
BECAUSE WE KNOW OBVIOUSLY OUR
VIEWERS ARE GREAT BUT IF WE CAN
EXPEDITE THIS PROCESS THEN
MAYBE YOU KNOW AT SOME POINT
SOON WE CAN COME BACK ON THE
AIR AND TALK ABOUT