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Lifebridge Neighborhood Advisory Committee
March 8, 2010 6:00PM
City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street, Salem, MA
Members Present:
Miguel Alvarez
John Femino
Robert Femino
Mark Cote
Seth Doolin
Jason Silva
Councillor Joan Lovely
Councillor Jean Pelletier
Councillor Steven Pinto
Audience Members Present:
Teasie Riley Goggin
- Follow-up discussion on 10-year Homelessness Plan
- C. Lovely spoke of 3/4/10 meeting with John O’Brien
- C. Pelletier spoke of same
- M. Cote spoke about John O’Brien and his history in the industry, how he has risen through the ranks to federal level and helps communities around the country to end homelessness. John gave the new committee a template to use with methodology and measures for outcome which addresses individuals, families, all homeless. There’s a paradigm shift now to rapidly re-house people instead of just providing emergency services which is what Lifebridge does now. Marked talked about a program (PIP) in Worcester which provides for triage services and then placement into temporary housing, then into permanent housing. Mark said John will stay with the process throughout the six month window which will include a public announcement of the committee and then public announcement of the plan. Neighbors will be asked to participate in the committee and sub-committees will be formed that will do work and report to main committee
- J. Silva said the important thing for this group is relationship between 10 year plan and Lifebridge campus and that it will require a lot of neighborhood input with wanting to know what long term plans of Lifebridge is and how this plan incorporates discussion/information of what long terms goals of Lifebridge is itself – after John O’Brien talked about key components is it was clear that the final plan will incorporate what happens at Lifebridge – close the shelter – add permanent housing – process for community to come together to plan on how to spend resources to end homelessness – do we want to operate an emergency shelter or plan permanent housing for homeless
- M. Alvarez asked if things progress won’t it attract more homeless from other communities
- M. Cote reiterated John O’Brien’s comments that the data does not support this – better than 50% of people at shelter are from Salem now - won’t increase homeless here
- C. Lovely said Lifebridge doesn’t accept chronic homeless who won’t comply with the rules
- M. Cote said winter protocol numbers down from last year substantially
- J. Silva said John O’Brien said we are just managing homeless now but creating plan is to solve the issue – a lot of communities buying into the this plan instead of emergency shelter
- M. Cote said when Seeds of Hope Housing opened 2007 type of housing didn’t exist – requirements are behavioral contracts including sobriety, drug testing, etc. meet with case manager to oversee process – 22 apartments opened and 9 shelter residents moved in – homelessness means homeless for one year or three times in three years (?) – housing first means house someone first and then work on getting services for substance abuse/mental health issues, etc. – spoke of Father Bill’s place in Quincy housing – expectation to move towards sobriety and stability
- M. Alvarez said tenants in apartments on corner of Margin/Endicott very nice
- C. Pelletier said main committee with sub-groups to meet and work together on the plan
- R. Femino said this group working with the neighbors and what about the Lifebridge campus
- M. Cote said Lifebridge not anchored geographically and looking to end homelessness city wide – own four buildings and no plans to buy up the neighborhood – St. Mary’s building on the market
- C. Pelletier said sub-committees will look at real estate for appropriate housing for Lifebridge mission throughout the city not just the neighborhood – will be putting framework in place for the committee
- C. Pinto asked about transition from shelter to housing a gray area does Lifebridge have a time frame from shelter to permanent housing
- M. Cote mentioned Phil Mangano and has worked with them for a long time where ID number of homeless in Salem for example total of 65, x number in shelter, ID inventory of housing with Lifebridge as provider standing up for them – successful in moving people into private housing – have under 100 homeless people in Salem – if this community comes together, we can move people quickly – now 5-6 people a month from homelessness to housing
- J. Silva said committee will help determine what is and is not good for Salem
- M. Cote said biggest shelter in Lowell dropping shelter beds from 60 to 30
- J. Silva said Worcester example phased out shelter in favor of housing – big issue there and plan is to shut down the shelter almost phased out – good example of how this will work
- M. Cote said Lifebridge committed to closing the shelter – supportive services there serving 8000 meals a month – will do either re-attempt to convert St. Mary’s if it doesn’t sell, or putting second story on mission building – there will be expansion on campus of about 20 units but no room to do more
- C. Pelletier said part of plan to create triage to help with immediate placement with services, etc. – will include singles as well as families
- J. Femino asked how the plans will be funded – where does the money come from
- M. Cote said doesn’t cost a lot of money but all of the providers like NASCAP, United Way, food pantries, 30-40 providers on the North Shore, requires providers to collaborate on moneys coming in – re-focus and re-program how moneys get spent - will need $5-10K to have professional help write the plan
- M. Cote said requirements now to take down shelter beds – shelter gets about $1mil now and…
SUGGESTED NAME FOR COMMITTEE “FROM HOMELESSNESS TO HOUSING – A PLAN TO CLOSE THE SALEM SHELTER”
- Review and approval of previous meeting minutes
- C. Pelletier asked about city barrel in front of Steve’s Market and Jason working on it
- C. Pelletier working with Jeff Cox on traffic issues surrounding Margin Street and Endicott Street
- M. Alvarez said parking on both sides an issue and someone going to get hurt if it’s not addressed
- C. Lovely said parking on both sides traffic calming slows people down
- C. Pelletier said will look at overall traffic issues
- M. Alvarez said should put speed bump on the corner
- C. Pelletier said DPW doesn’t like speed bumps
- S. Doolin said leave pot holes that will slow people down!
- M. Alvarez said park is better
- J. Femino said fence needs to be strengthened – two bolts used instead of two and not enough
- M. Alvarez more concerned with basketballs bouncing into the street – that section should have been left at 6’ high
- C. Pinto asked about status of thrift shop
- M. Cote said still operational second furnace working
- J. Silva said privacy slats in fencing maybe and replacing with higher fence probably not – SPD going to take a look at slats from safety issues and will look at stability of fence again
- M. Alvarez said doesn’t think privacy slats are required
- M. Cote said children in park have sworn at and spit at shelter – can’t hide homeless for now
- C. Pelletier said last snow storm out plowing 2:30AM and thanked Lifebridge for calling SPD saying people sleeping in their cars during storm
- J. Femino said last meeting C. Pelletier not here and didn’t feel put down by him
- C. Pelletier apologized and said didn’t realize he was doing that
- C. Lovely said the committee should be more relaxed than city council rules
- J. Femino said fence not of same quality as old fence and M. Alvarez agreed
- C. Pelletier to look into it – Gauge of fence and fence posts
- M. Alvarez said neighborhood was not included in the re-fencing – no meetings – that was the right time to do this because neighbors would have weighed in
- J. Silva said no neighborhood group existed when the fence was being planned to be re-placed
- J. Femino said when he disbursed pamphlets he heard neighbors with small children would not visit the park
- M. Cote said that reality no longer exists with shelter at Margin St – not all crime in the neighborhood generates from the shelter
- J. Femino asked about people sleeping in their cars in Riley Plaza
- M. Cote said some people do sleep in cars in Riley Plaza – staff see this happen – cameras on the property see this – trying to re-assure J. Femino that staff polices the neighborhood
- C. Pelletier asked that the record reflect that C. Ronan has joined us
- M. Alvarez said that some neighbors in the neighborhood causing issues – named three houses that have a lot of problems - well known to the police
- J. Silva asked for addresses to talk to SPD about these houses
- R. Femino asked about spring clean-up with the neighborhood association and the shelter residents
- M. Cote said he and Jeff Cox have exchanged emails and will coordinate with Kelly Barrington
- M. Alvarez said a lot of drinking going on at 10 Pratt Street
- R. Femino said trash and nip bottles getting bad again
- C. Lovely suggested coordinating clean-up with Clean Sweeps
- Next meeting – Monday, April 12, 2010 6:00PM
- Adjournment
- Meeting adjourned at 7:20PM.
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