sa国际传媒官网网页入口

sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Mayor Tim Keller on Wednesday announced a new initiative to address homelessness: providing a place to sleep outside the West Side shelter for those not ready to step inside.

The proposed Gateway Safe Outdoor Space will provide showers, electricity and a place for an unspecified number of people 鈥� estimated from 15 to 50 鈥� to set up tents. 

鈥淎 lot of folks we offer help to say no, but we know that they would say yes if it was a safe outdoor space,鈥� Keller said at a news conference outside Gateway Center near Gibson and San Mateo, roughly 14 miles as the crow flies from Gateway West, which will neighbor the safe outdoor space. 

Keller said the outdoor space is 鈥渁bsolutely critical鈥� as Gateway West is near capacity, but he also emphasized that there are always beds available at the shelter, which can accommodate up to 669 people. The city has made renovations to Gateway West in recent years in response to cleanliness and safety concerns, but often those living on the streets say they prefer that to the congregate shelter.

Gilbert Gallegos, a city spokesperson, said the location beside Gateway West was chosen 鈥渄ue to its existing shelter infrastructure and supportive services.鈥� The proximity, he said, would 鈥渉elp create a smoother transition pathway for individuals seeking access to additional indoor shelter and support services.鈥�

The proposed site comes as the unhoused population around the city grows, with almost 3,000 people reported to be living on the streets, according to the last annual Point-In-Time count, released in November.

A group sticking tight to the shade of an overhang along Central near Wyoming on Wednesday said the area around Gateway West, sandwiched between a shooting range and Double Eagle Airport, is just too hot and far-flung to be appealing. One woman said she would consider it if there were more convenience stores and development in the area, while a man said there鈥檚 no way to get to and from the area with ease. Currently shuttles that take people to the shelter run infrequently and from specific locations around sa国际传媒官网网页入口. 

City Councilor Stephanie Telles said she didn鈥檛 know about the proposed Safe Outdoor Space in her West Side district. She said she supports 鈥渁ny way that we can expand pathways for folks into more stability,鈥� but also noted the challenges that arise from the distance.

Telles said transportation and support systems need to be built in to bridge the physical gap, including access to employment, doctor appointments and more permanent housing 鈥� things that are more readily available in the heart of the city.

鈥淥therwise, we risk creating this system where people are sheltered but isolated,鈥� she said, later adding, 鈥溾�� The goal can鈥檛 be managing homelessness out of sight.鈥� 

鈥楳ore details to come鈥�

The announcement about the proposed safe outdoor space comes after years of increasing enforcement by Keller鈥檚 administration against those sleeping on sidewalks and public property across the city, particularly on East Central. The enforcement has led to citations, which often escalate into arrest warrants after missed hearings, with the unhoused becoming the largest population cycling in and out of the Metropolitan Detention Center. 

City councilors last week passed The Enhanced Service and Safety Zone Ordinance that would make sitting, sleeping or lying on public sidewalks illegal in certain areas.

On Wednesday, Keller said the site for the safe outdoor space by Gateway West is already under construction. He said further funding is needed to operate the space, with money identified in the city鈥檚 proposed budget, which has yet to get City Council approval.

Details were slim on what the operating hours would be and what, if any, restrictions would apply to those who stayed there.

Gilbert Ramirez, director of the city鈥檚 Health, Housing and Homelessness department, said they have yet to develop policies for the site but said they want it to be as 鈥渓ow barrier鈥� as possible, referring to sobriety and other requirements. 

鈥淢ore details to come,鈥� Ramirez said.

Ramirez said the site could function as a step toward housing for people who are not quite ready for a shelter but will accept something in between. Some people, he said, would likely keep calling the sidewalks and alleys of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 home.

鈥淲e cannot force people into it, what we can do is make sure we have the entry points designed specifically for the person鈥檚 situation in that time,鈥� Ramirez said. 鈥淲e know outdoor camping is an area that folks aren鈥檛 ready to give up. Some folks will always live, as we say, under the stars.鈥�

Safe outdoor spaces

Safe outdoor spaces as an alternative to shelter were approved by the City Council in 2022. Out of almost a dozen applications, only one has been approved: a 10-tent capacity lot outside New Creation Church along Zuni SE, east of Pennsylvania.

Out of the 11 applications on the , four have been denied and five withdrawn. One in the same parking lot as New Creation Church is listed as 鈥渁waiting review.鈥�

In the past, critics have said regulations on the program deter applicants.

City ordinance requires a permitted Safe Outdoor Space to maintain 24/7 staff and offer food, mental and physical health services.

Ramirez said the proposed space at Gateway West is in the early development phase, and many of the finer points 鈥� like when meals and transportation would be provided 鈥� have yet to be ironed out. Gallegos, the city spokesperson, said the Health, Housing and Homelessness department is considering buying two or three smaller vans to specifically serve the site.

Ramirez said the city has 鈥渓earned a lot鈥� from the space at New Creation Church.

鈥淭hey have shared some wonderful ideas as to, really, what is it the population needs,鈥� Ramirez said.