HOMELESS OFF STREET SANCTUARY NETWORK

Homeless Off Street Sanctuary

The Homeless Off Street Sanctuary initiative consists of three main elements: 1) a Countywide Site Suitability Analysis, 2) a Linked Cluster (Hub & Satellite) Site Design, 3) Construction Budget.

1) Land Identification - Suitable Site Analysis Methods.

We used public data sources, ESRI spatial analysis tools, and a decentralized approach at locating suitable, government owned sites to place emergency off street shelters. Initially, this effort aimed to identify government land alone. However, as a further development of the initiative, we included privately owned land, in particular, parking lots and other underutilized land owned by faith based organizations, for example. Suitable sites were identified to conform to the following criteria:

• Maximize Hub and Satellite networks or clusters;

• Utilize government owned land only, however, identify privately owned land; 

• Hub sites cover a minimum 8,500 square foot area;

• Satellite sites cover a minimum 4,000 square foot area;

• Satellites and hubs shall be no closer than 600 feet from each other and may be on a single parcel; Satellites shall be no farther than 1/2 mile apart;

• Variables and areas removed include:

• 600 foot buffer around schools;

• Significant Ecological Areas;

• Airport Noise Contours;

• Parcels that begin more than 40 feet from centerline of streets;

• Surface water;

• Land with slope greater than 15%;

• Building footprints.

2. Site Design - Hub and Satellite Network

In order to maintain a small group size, reduce the potential for adverse issues that may result from larger numbers of people, and in order to allow for a greater degree of self regulation, we limited sites to 20 occupants, organized in a network of five to six satellites, served by a hub that houses administrative, medical, and other facilities. Distance from the satellite to the hub is limited to a 1/2 mile in order to allow for walkability from satellites to the service providing hub, yet still maintaining sufficient distance to avoid concentrating large populations in a single location. Programmatic elements include medical, counseling, and administrative support, kitchen & dining area, bathrooms, laundry, lockable storage, shelter space consisting of a variety of types, as required by the population: BYO Tent, Tiny House, or modular dormitories.

3. Budget (see below)

Conceptual diagram of the Homeless Off Street Sanctuary Network hub and satellite sites.

PRECEDENTS