GOOD NEWS! I think some policies have changed at the Porchlight Shelters

Call me cynical, but I don’t really believe it. It seems like so many people have different understandings of what the shelter rules are and it appears there is a really good reason for that. Check out what I found on the internet vs. what we are told in meetings and by staff at Human Services . . . and how that differs from what I know from people on the street. I’d love to take them at their word and celebrate the good news of changes to policy . . . but I also am not naive enough to really believe that the policies have changed and that they are just making things up as they go along and the policy may be different when not so many people are paying attention. But hey, I think this is an awesome opportunity to make these the new policies!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂

And, by the way. All this call from elected officials to have better information available is cool, but it has to be CONSISTENT and that is the key problem.

INFO AVAILABLE ABOUT PORCHLIGHT POLICIES

Here’s what it says:

Porchlight provides temporary emergency shelter to single men at its Drop-In Shelter and two overflow shelters. Guests receive two hot meals per day, personal grooming supplies, laundry facilities, and counseling services.

Intake for all three shelters is at Grace Episcopal Church, at 116 West Washington Avenue.

Shelter Hours:

April-October: 7:30 pm to 7:30 am. Intake is from 7:30 to 10:30 pm.
November-March: 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. These hours will be in effect starting Sunday, November 4th, 2012.
Anyone needing to enter the shelter after 10:30 pm will have to have received prior approval by calling shelter staff at 255-2960.

There is a 60 night limit for Drop-In Shelter use per person, per year. A cold weather exemption will go into effect for nights that are 20 degrees or less, with wind chill.

Anyone who is clearly under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will not be allowed into the shelter.

This emergency shelter operates with the support of over 50 volunteer organizations and 1,700 people, who provide two meals every day of the year to over one thousand individuals. If your group is interested in helping out, learn more here.

Now look at what we are being told by Lynn Green, Director of Human Services for the county.

I have checked on the men’s sheltering system. I have been told that for intoxication and number of nights, they waive those requirements if the temperature, including wind chill, is 20 degrees or below and for other inclement weather such as the upcoming winter storm. Note the nights still counts, but they just don’t care how many nights the person has stayed. I guess they have been doing this for a long time. I am working on the banned question; it appears that it may be contingent on the reason for the ban. It would be very difficult to control major disruptive behavior, especially if the shelter is crowded due to the weather.

And what was provided to the homeless services Committee.

Porchlight
Target population: men over age 18
– Guests are limited to 60 days of shelter in a year, beginning November through October 31. There is a weather exception for nights when the temperature is expected to be below 20 degrees F (taking into account wind chill), and other nights when weather is particularly inclement (i.e. stormy & snowy). Also, guests may receive extensions on the 60 day limit if they demonstrate progress toward obtaining housing and employment.

And the info from Porchlights Homeless Services Guide:

Men only. Open seven days a week. Hours: end of March-November from 7:30pm to 8:00am; end of November-March 5:30pm to 8:00am. Drop-In Shelter provides two meals, laundry machines, and shower facilities. Some personal care items are also provided. When the Drop-In Shelter fills up, guests are referred to the Overflow Shelters (322 East Washington Ave. & 203 Wisconsin Ave.). There are no program fees and no admittance requirements other than sobriety. The stay limit is 60 days per year.

COMPARING THE INFORMATION
I’m pretty sure I’m starting to understand all the confusion – the information is different everywhere you look.
ID
First of all, no where in any of these does it mention that you need an ID to enter the shelter. That is a new policy that went into effect the beginning of November. They are somewhat flexible in this rule I’ve been told, but if you lose your ID you might be under the impression you can’t get in and you might not even try. Or, you might feel like if you try to advocate for yourself the staff will not like you and then you will have trouble in the future because it is a widely held belief that the staff is very retaliatory.

Cold Weather/Inclement Weather Exception
Website: A cold weather exemption will go into effect for nights that are 20 degrees or less, with wind chill.

Lynn Green:I have been told that for intoxication and number of nights, they waive those requirements if the temperature, including wind chill, is 20 degrees or below and for other inclement weather such as the upcoming winter storm.

Homeless Issues Committee Info: There is a weather exception for nights when the temperature is expected to be below 20 degrees F (taking into account wind chill), and other nights when weather is particularly inclement (i.e. stormy & snowy).

Porchlight Guide: No mention of cold or inclement weather exceptions.

Word on the street: Only cold weather exception if under 20 degrees, can’t have alochol on your breath. They will breathalyze you. But, drunk people go to shelter two. (Yeah, I don’t understand that inconsistency.) No bad weather exceptions in the summer.

Should we be celebrating the change in policy? Is it a change in policy? The temperature is going to be less than 20 degrees tonight, but it isn’t always when there is bad weather. Does inclement weather include summer storms? Seriously, if this is the new policy this is freaking fantastic!!!

Alcohol
Website: Anyone who is clearly under the influence of alcohol or other drugs will not be allowed into the shelter.

Lynn Green: I have been told that for intoxication and number of nights, they waive those requirements if the temperature, including wind chill, is 20 degrees or below and for other inclement weather such as the upcoming winter storm.

Homeless Issues Committee: No mention of it.

Porchlight Guide: There are no program fees and no admittance requirements other than sobriety.

Word on the street: Only cold weather exception if under 20 degrees, can’t have alochol on your breath. They will breathalyze you. But, drunk people go to shelter two. (Yeah, I don’t understand that inconsistency.)

Hmmmm . . . arbitrary at best is what I think this all means. Again, people on the street won’t try to get in when the rules say that you can’t be under the influence of alcohol and there are breathalyzers. And then some people seem to slip through the system and there doesn’t seem to be any apparent pattern – except people say it just depends up on if the staff likes you. Not sure that is true or not, there must be a method to the madness, but it would be really great if that was clear.

Winter Hours
Website: April-October: 7:30 pm to 7:30 am. Intake is from 7:30 to 10:30 pm.
November-March: 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. These hours will be in effect starting Sunday, November 4th, 2012.
Anyone needing to enter the shelter after 10:30 pm will have to have received prior approval by calling shelter staff at 255-2960.

Lynn Green: No mention of anything.

Homeless Issues: No mention of anything

Porchlight Guide: Hour: end of March-November from 7:30pm to 8:00am; end of November-March 5:30pm to 8:00am.

Word on the street: If you can’t get into the shelter on time you have to call by 9pm and even if you do, you don’t always get in. I’ve heard 2 different people in the last 2 months, with 4 different incidents that haven’t gotten in.

Yeah, I’m confused about why the website and their guide say different things. I’m positive people have to be out by 7:30 in the morning. The website doesn’t mention when you have to be in the shelter by at night. The guide doesn’t either. The reason I was looking for the info is because someone was asking what they do when they work after the hours when you need to be in the shelter and what the number was that you call. I’m also concerns that they website says they have to call but not that they have to call by 9pm and that is where people seem to get tripped up.

Counseling Services
– The claim of “counseling services” is greatly over-stated. I don’t know of anyone who gets any such services at Porchlight men’s shelter. And in their defense, it would be near impossible given the cattle call kind of services the shelter is and the large number of people served. In fact, their guide from this summer leaves that out: Shelter provides two meals, laundry machines, and shower facilities. Some personal care items are also provided.

Extension of the 60 day rule>
Wow, also didn’t know this could happen. All the materials are silent except that the Homeless Issues Committee says this: Also, guests may receive extensions on the 60 day limit if they demonstrate progress toward obtaining housing and employment.

Cool, I want that to be true too! All the time.

Medical Issues
Hmmm, word on the street is that if you have certain medical conditions you are turned away. Where is the policy on that?

CONCLUSION
I may have missed some other issues, but this is a start. All of this is so confusing, service providers working with people who don’t have housing can’t figure out the rules, how in the world are the people seeking the services supposed to figure it out.

I am very excited that the following things seem to be policy changes to me:
No ID’s required at shelter!
Year-round inclement weather exception! It doesn’t need to be 20 degrees in stormy winter conditions!
People who have been drinking won’t be turned away for the cold or bad weather exception!
You can get an extension on the 60 days if you are working on housing and employment!

I think people deserve clear rules and consistency to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Wonder if we will ever get it.

Salvation Army tomorrow.