Neighbors to a New St. Johns Homeless Village—a Retirement Community and a Preschool—Are Unhappy

The new location for Hazelnut Grove is right next to a retirement community and preschool, and the owners are not happy. But the joint office is pushing ahead..

St. Johns Bridge (Tony Webster / Flickr)

The owner of a retirement community and the owner of a preschool are opposed to Portland City Hall and Multnomah County's choice of the new location for a homeless village.

Residents and businesses located close to the new site for Hazelnut Grove received notice from the county on Oct. 18, and WW first reported the story on the 24th.

Harvest Homes, a retirement community of around 80 residents, is next door. Harvest Homes also shares its space with Magnolia Blossom, an intergenerational preschool.

Michelle Westwood, owner of Harvest Homes, says she and others in the neighborhood were not a part of the decision.

"My father and grandfather built Harvest Homes over 55 years ago," said Westwood. "We have been taking primarily Medicaid residents for the entire 55 years of existing. With the proximity so close to our vulnerable community, I believe it will affect us. We have already had two families decide not to move in for mysterious reasons."

Opposition from neighbors to a homeless shelter or to homeless camp is common, though it's somewhat unusual for a retirement community and a preschool to be right next door.

Denis Theriault, communications coordinator for the city and county's Joint Office of Homeless Services, says the agency works to meet with neighbors to hear their concerns, but they won't necessarily be able to block the project.

"They hosted us at their meeting," says Theriault. "The neighborhood association held their [Nov. 2] meeting. They asked us to come to that. We attended. We sat for an hour and a half, longer than they had asked us to stay."

Westwood says the new settlement is the right idea, but in the wrong place.

"We are very opposed to the new village that they are proposing," says Westwood. "We really like the idea of the village, but this lot is not the right location. A village pod adjacent to an elderly care community and a preschool has never been done."

Marguerite Aichele-Smith, owner of Magnolia Blossom preschool, voiced similar concerns.

"My initial reaction to the proposal was shock and disbelief," said Aichele-Smith.

"I am for the pod community in St. Johns, but I am against the current proposed location on North Roberts because of the potential for negative impact on the preschool, the assisted living community and the immediate neighbor next door," said Aichele-Smith. "Why does the city/county think this is a good idea when they have never sited a very vulnerable population (the homeless) next to two other vulnerable populations that are already fearful by nature?"

The closest other instance of a shelter in close proximity to a preschool is the Rose City Neighborhood Preschool, which is housed in the Rose City Park United Methodist Church.

"The Rose City Park example, they share that space," said Theriault. "The director of Do Good Multnomah spoke and he said that the kids have pizza nights, there is interaction. It's not like the kids never see the folks in the shelter; they actually plan events together. They also run a housing placement service during the day. So the kids and the parents come in and out of the same door as homeless clients who are working on their housing search. So there is a lot of interaction between people in poverty, people trying to get out of homeless, and the parents and the children. That's a reality."

Betty Smith is another next-door neighbor to the proposed village and also feels concerned for her safety.

"I have worked at Harvest Homes for over 30 years," Smith said. "Sometimes I come over in the middle of the night if the girls [at Harvest Home] need help. I don't know if I can walk in my nightgown out to Harvest Homes, which is about half a block. I am not sure I'm going to be able to do that. That's horrible to say you wont feel safe outside your door."

Theriault doesn't see the same need for concern.

“I don’t accept the premise that a village like Kenton or Hazelnut Grove or Right 2 Dream Too is inherently a bad thing and a blight,” said Theriault. “They help people in their housing. They build community connections. This is an intentional community of hardworking people who have jobs in many cases, want to take care of their space, and be good neighbors who do volunteer work.”

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