PORT ANGELES — After hearing from people who use Serenity House of Clallam County’s night-by-night shelter, the Clallam County commissioners agreed they should fund the nonprofit’s shelters through the end of the year.
Commissioners agreed during their “commissioner’s conversation” session Monday morning that the county should pull $40,000 from the reserves of the county’s Homeless Fund to keep the overnight and family shelters open.
“I don’t see letting the shelter close part way through the winter as an option, nor is it the right thing to do,” said Commissioner Mark Ozias.
They discussed listing the appropriation as a debatable emergency later this month, a process that is required to spend money that isn’t included in the annual budget.
“I’m very happy for Clallam County and for our clients,” said Doc Robinson, executive director of Serenity House. “It’s very nice to be able to continue to grow shelter services that our community needs.”
The three commissioners heard from three clients who use Serenity House’s overnight shelter. Among them was Patrick Tempte, who told them his only income is from Social Security, which covers a fraction of what would be needed to pay rent.
“It isn’t enough to get me an apartment when I have to have three times the money [for a deposit],” he said. “There’s waiting lists to get in subsidized housing.”
Tempte said after the meeting he has been using the shelter since it reopened last month.
Serenity House closed its overnight shelter over the summer due to lack of funding, but reopened after a group of churches, partnered with United Way of Clallam County, pulled together $34,000, Robinson said.
That funding was enough to reopen the shelter, but was not enough to keep it running through the end of the year.
He said the family shelter costs about $10,000 per month and the night-by-night shelter costs about $8,750 per month.
Since the overnight shelter reopened Oct. 15 it has served an average of 23 clients per night, with the highest use of 30 last Wednesday.
Of the people served, 32 percent have been age 55 or older. There are currently four families in the family shelter with three children. He said there are two pregnant women receiving housing and case management.
Robinson said the surprise has been the need for meals. Since reopening, Serenity House has served 1,222 meals, an average of 58 meals per day.
Manny Aybar, shelter director, told commissioners that Serenity House is working to address the stigma that the facility faces.
“A lot of folks are seeing our shelter is back open … and they’re starting to see what we’re doing is just a little different than we did before,” Aybar said.
Aybar was a longtime mental health and social services provider in San Bernardino County, Calif., and was named director of shelter services for Serenity House last month.
Robinson said the Serenity House van has picked up an average of 34 clients per day with Veterans Memorial Park being the pickup point.
Robinson said there isn’t a “good spot” for the pickup point.
“Everybody wants to say go somewhere else,” Robinson said. “I get it, but at the same time they have to go somewhere. I’m looking for a solution from the community.”
Robinson said with the $40,000, Serenity House would be able to get back on track with funding from the county.
He said funding is supposed to be available at the start of the year, though it is usually held up a couple of months.
“Even if you fund here, I’ll have a gap at the beginning of the year I’ll figure out,” he said. “I have to do that every year, so I’m used to this.”
Robinson said Serenity House would use money from the Serenity House store in Sequim to keep the shelter open in the interim.
________
Reporter Jesse Major can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at jmajor@peninsuladailynews.com.
