Emerging from the pandemic

In the winter of 2019-20 someone sent me an article from The New York Times titled: “How Pandemics End.” While this is not a publication I usually read, I was intrigued because it was a brief history of epidemics including ones during the Roman Empire and ancient China and I am a retired history teacher. While the stories were quite a romp through history, I was struck by the conclusions the authors reached. Epidemics end one of two ways: 1) scientists agree when it ends, and 2) the population affected finally decide to live with the consequences.

It would seem that we have chosen the latter for the COVID-19 pandemic. Most emergency rules and mandates are no longer in effect, the vaccines and boosters are in ample supply, masks are no longer required for jetliner trips, financial aid to small businesses and renters have pretty much ended, kids are back in schools, jury trials are being held at the Hall of Justice, and there is general agreement that those who are health compromised need to take extra precautions.

Of course, masks are still needed in medical settings and the capacity at our jail is impaired whenever there are inmates sick with infectious disease (although capacity is more threatened by severe mental health breakdowns among those incarcerated). Surprisingly, there never was a significant outbreak of COVID-19 at the Alabama Street Chronic Homeless Encampment. Compared to the 1918-19 Spanish flu epidemic, the death rate from COVID here in Cowlitz County over three years was comparable.

Progress on the Homeless Front

The state of Washington encouraged cities and counties to pool document recording fees to address homelessness. The City of Longview (along with other cities) signed such an agreement with the County years ago; a service provider oversight committee was appointed, a plan to address homelessness was created, recommendations were made; and previous Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) issued grants from the documentrecording fees that had accumulated over several years. Among the recipients were Emergency Support Shelter, Lower Columbia CAP, and Community House on Broadway.

But the recipient receiving the largest grants was a brand new social service agency known as Love Overwhelming, who rented a former women’s emergency shelter adjacent to the County Administration Building and Annex to offer three programs deemed essential by the oversight committee: coordinated entry (linking homeless individuals and families needing assistance to appropriate resources); an urban rest area for homeless living out of their autos or RVs to have a place to shower, etc.; and an overnight shelter for homeless needing a roof over their heads.

The state strongly encouraged a barrier-free environment and the Love Overwhelming programs attempted to welcome any and all seeking relief from homelessness. Messages were sent out along the I-5 corridor publicizing LO’s services and soon they were overwhelmed. It turned out that without strict management of behaviors, many of the homeless needing relief found the ample availability of drugs for sale in the vicinity. Drug deals got so bad the Kelso Police went to court to get LO declared a drug house. Before a suitable arrangement could be reached between LO and KPD, conditions got so bad that the County finally purchased the LO building from its landlord, requiring a vacant building as a condition of the sale.

Many of those homeless recongregated on vacant privatelyowned land north of the railroad tracks between Oregon Way and Industrial Way. When the private owners developed the area for commercial/industrial uses; the “campers” took to the shores of Lake Sacajawea along Nichols Boulevard at the Lions Shelter until the City forced them to leave. Next, they landed in front of City Hall. In desperation, the City Council agreed to allow them to relocation in an unhosted and unregulated site near the city shops east of Oregon Way on Alabama Street.

An ad-hoc committee with representatives of Longview and Kelso city government and one county commissioner spent about a year trying to find an alternative site already publicly owned. Eventually, the group bowed to intense public pressure against relocating the encampment and disbanded, leaving the City of Longview on the hook. Conditions were inhumane as rainy weather resulted in extremely muddy conditions and the drugdealing continued unabated.

Last fall, Assistant City Manager Kris Swanson designed a chronic homeless alternative to correct the many faults with the unhosted, free style but filthy encampment. It requires a code of conduct for clients, including no drugs or alcohol; 24/7 security; pavement to support 50 pallet homes for single occupancy; community outreach services; development of plans of action for resolving individual homelessness, including treatment; and day-to-day management by the Salvation Army, who named the facility Hope Village.

It opened last month along with a request of partial funding from the County’s document recording fee account, as provided for under the original agreement. Already a few clients have been kicked out for violating the rules. As of the end of January the BOCC has not considered the request. Please let your county commissioners know if they should assist the City financially.