LAKEPORT >> A blessing, a curse or something in between?
The pros and cons, as well as the clear necessity of the warming center for the homeless were on the table Tuesday as the Lakeport Ministerial Association made a presentation to the Lake County Board of Supervisors, discussing findings from its recently closed warming center in Lakeport and brainstorming county partnership.
According to Pastor Shannon Kimbell-Auth, the center aided more than 80 different guests while it was open from January to the end of March. Operations went smoothly for the most part, but concerns over security and the center’s location were brought to the when a nearby property owner was stabbed by one of the guests last month. Some witnesses claimed the property owner instigated the fight, but the homeless man was arrested.
“It wasn’t all roses and I think you guys know that,” District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown said.
He further pointed out that the center drew homeless visitors from outside the county, calling it a “driving concern.”
“We have to be able to take care of what we can here before we start expanding it to an area that we just don’t have the resources for even in a good year,” Brown added.
In an effort to address potential future problems, Kimbell-Auth asked the BOS if the association could get some help from staff in the form of a liaison in choosing a further location for a warming center. In response, Brown directed them to the Lake County Planning Department and said that a staff member couldn’t be directed for that specific purpose.
Additional requests were made to possible use county funds to train either someone from the association or county to train at California Housing’s annual conference. Kimbell-Auth said it would cost the county about $1,000.
No decision was made on that. Instead, they were directed to someone in social services.
The board made a request of its own: for the association to hold a briefing with some community members to discuss people’s thoughts on the shelter. That may be presented at Social Services Continuum of Care program meeting.
“We want to make program that is responsible for our community but also helps our homeless neighbors,” Kimbell-Auth said.
