Pathways to Stability pitches 24/7 managed stabilization center, offers donated school security system

Representatives from Pathways to Stability and Youth for Christ presented a plan to the Grants Pass SD 7 board workshop proposing a 24/7 managed stabilization center intended to reduce unsanctioned encampments and provide case management, security and on‑site service connections.

"What we're trying to do, what we're proposing to do is try to build a civilization center here in Grants Pass, which is managed 24/7 with case management, security, resources for provider in house population, ways... to get out of being... homeless," said Jeremy, who identified himself as representing Youth for Christ and Pathways to Stability. The group said the model uses "low barrier" intake and partners with existing local providers for behavioral‑health and addiction treatment.

Pathways also described a donated school security system they say was developed by Andrew Pollock, and said the vendor would pilot the technology locally. "Andrew Pollock...wants to donate all this equipment, all this software to the school district... He wants Grants Pass to be a pilot program," Jeremy said, describing automatic shuttering, an ID tag trigger and sensors he said could detect harmful substances.

Board members acknowledged the community need but raised safety and siting concerns. Gary, a board member, cautioned that engineering and foot‑traffic patterns near schools complicate placing a facility adjacent to elementary and secondary campuses: "Every school we have, if it's an elementary, it's a half mile around that school... with our middle schools and our high schools, it's a mile." Board members and Pathways staff discussed the RFP requirement the facility remain inside the city’s urban growth boundary and meet a minimum size and distance criteria.

Pathways said they are focusing on serving people with local ties and coordinating for non‑locals to return to services in their home areas. A board member noted local point‑in‑time counts show higher numbers than the 150‑bed RFP requirement; Pathways said counts rose roughly 23% year‑over‑year and that a new count was planned in January.

Pathways asked the board to assign a school‑board representative to its steering committee to advise on student and campus safety. The board expressed willingness to discuss participation and asked staff to review zoning, engineering constraints and the exclusion distances around schools before site identification.

The group said it had examined many properties (they cited roughly 20) and acknowledged that the city injunction and RFP requirements limit options. Pathways emphasized their aim "to work ourselves out of a job" by moving people into stable housing, citing examples from other cities that have pursued a Built for Zero approach.

Next steps identified in the workshop included further zoning and land‑use checks, examination of the N Street site’s zoning and acreage, and possible inclusion of a board representative on Pathways’ steering committee. The board did not take a formal vote on the stabilization center at the workshop.