At a neighborhood working group meeting, Mayor John Engen said the heavily residential area was not suitable for a drop-in center. He said the soup kitchen and homeless shelter agreed to back off the Toole Avenue site, and, in turn, the city agreed to help the Pov find a downtown location elsewhere.
“The Toole location is not in play anymore,” Engen said.
“We can tell you unequivocally right now - We're not going to be on (506) Toole Avenue,” Hill said.
Members of the working group offered gratitude for the decision and also criticism of the process. The group - called the Neighborhood Working Group on Poverello Day Center - formed after the Pov announced plans to open a second set of doors in the area.
Neighbors did not know about the decision ahead of time and asked for a chance to be part of the conversation before the Pov moved in. They suggested the Pov consider a location away from the well-traveled bridge and the Missoula 3:16 Rescue Mission - even a place in the same neighborhood.
“We're pretty happy about this (decision),” said Amy Capolupo, member of the working group.
In the Jack Reidy Conference Room among roughly a dozen participants, Capolupo said the neighborhood's response hadn't been a NIMBY one because residents already have people who are homeless in their backyard.
“To add more to that would have been very problematic,” she said.
She thanked the Pov and the city for choosing to find a different place for the center.
Another neighborhood leader, Dru Carr, said he had felt hopeless whenever the topic of the location came up and was grateful for the mayor's involvement.
“I'm really glad that the city is stepping up to help out,” Carr said.
Another participant offered suggestions and raised concerns. Kate Ybarra said some people might be overjoyed at the news, but she didn't like the direction of the conversation.
“I, for one, am not happy about the process,” Ybarra said, and she criticized it several times.
She said the group had only started talking about the matter and the serious issues wouldn't end just because the location was a moot point. Ybarra also said the media put a negative spin on the news, and stories hurt the clients and people who are homeless and have mental health issues.
She said she still has questions about the day center that need answers, too. The Pov currently doesn't allow people who are intoxicated at its Ryman Street location, and the new center will allow them. Ybarra wanted to know if the Pov could change its rules to accommodate the clientele.
“How about opening your doors right now to people who use alcohol?” Ybarra said.
Hill said the idea was under consideration.
Also, member Leslie Jensen said she didn't consider the process over with the announcement. She sees the neighborhood flourishing more than ever and said committee members will continue working on neighborhood issues. In fact, Jensen said, conversations could improve as the newly formed group coalesces.
“We are going to learn how to talk to each other better,” Jensen said.
The mayor said backing off the Toole Avenue location would relieve some pressure. It would allow the community to take a breath and the Pov to make good use of the grants it received to open the drop-in center.
“Let's help them make the most of the grant,” Engen said.
The Poverello Center received a $120,000 mental health grant from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services to open a drop-in center. Hill has said the Pov also received a $133,000 operations grant from the Steele Reese Foundation to support the new facility for three years.
Engen said the center needs to open downtown, where clients can easily get to a hospital, police, government offices and transit. A one-year lease is on the table. Any location will come with some resistance, but Engen said he prefers the drop-in reside in an area that is less residential than the Toole area.
“This is a community issue. Your neighborhoods tend to bear the brunt of the pieces of it, but it is a community issue,” Engen said.
Group member Eric Taylor said he had criticized the city before for not engaging the community earlier. He said Wednesday that taking the Toole location off the table addresses a lot of concerns people have, but he also pointed to challenges ahead.
“Nobody is going to want it in their neighborhood,” Taylor said.
On the other hand, Kim Campbell, who lives downtown, said people in her neighborhood already ask her for money and food. She would prefer they be able to find services, such as those that would be offered at the day center.
“If it was in my backyard, I would be proud to have it there,” Campbell said.
Reporter Keila Szpaller can be reached at 523-5262 or at keila.szpaller@missoulian.com.
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