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Committee hears history and expansion plans for FAC shelter and services
Summary
Committee members described the development of FAC’s shelter work in Sweet Home, including 30 volunteer-built huts and a plan for 15 new electric pods with a behavior-based pathway into housing and tenant training.
A committee presentation reviewed the history and recent developments of FAC’s shelter program in Sweet Home and described planned expansion.
A committee member gave a multi-point history: FAC began work in 2020 to provide a managed location for people experiencing homelessness after a local church site housed a small group. The committee member said the health committee and other community partners visited a program model in Walla Walla, Washington, and adapted the concept for Sweet Home. FAC later received city support (a donated annex office building behind Old City Hall) and community donations and volunteer labor; the speaker said about 30 small shelter huts were built by high school students and roughly 200 community volunteers.
The committee member said FAC is adding 15 new pods on a field between the huts and the maintenance yard; 13 of the new pods will sleep two people and will have electricity. Access to the new pods will be behavior-based: residents in the existing huts will be able to earn entry by following an agreed plan and work toward what the speaker called a “good tenant” training certificate. Committee members noted FAC has received state grant funding and that the city previously passed grant funding to FAC.
Members recommended inviting FAC leadership — including the executive director and program staff who work directly with clients — to present to the committee at a future meeting so members could hear program details and follow-up questions directly. The committee also noted that the program’s collaboration with the police department and previous city leadership was important to early progress.
Clarifying details: The speaker said 30 existing huts were built with volunteer labor and that 15 new pods will be added; the speaker specified that 13 of the 15 pods will sleep two people. The committee member said the program included student-built huts, city-donated office space and state grant funding; exact grant amounts were not specified in the meeting.
