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Homeless center gets unanimous approval

by Don Kazak

It was a long, hard climb to get the Opportunity Center approved by the Palo Alto City Council Monday night.

When City Councilwoman Judy Kleinberg first heard of the effort several years ago to build a homeless center and housing for the lowest income people, her initial thought was "good luck."

But, as she said Monday night, luck had nothing to do with it.

The Palo Alto City Council voted 8-0, with Councilman Jack Morton not participating, to approve plans to build two drop-in centers for the homeless and 89 units of low-income housing.

It's an ambitious, $21 million project drawing on a variety of state, federal and local funds and being put together by a consortium of non-profit groups: the Community Working Group, which worked five years on the plan and which will own the building; InnVision and the Urban Ministry, homeless service agencies that merged last year; and the Clara Mateo shelter in Menlo Park, which will run part of the drop-in center.

In the biggest turnaround, Palo Alto Medical Foundation officials initially objected to Opportunity Center last year because it would be situated right next to the clinic -- near downtown, and between El Camino Real and the railroad tracks.

But on Monday night, Dr. David Druker, medical foundation CEO and president, made a commitment to "participating in the planning and monitoring of the Opportunity Center's health care program."

Clinic officials and members of the Community Working Group have been negotiating the details of an agreement on various aspects of the Opportunity Center, including a security plan, but that agreement was not made public Monday night -- in part because it isn't finished. But all parties said it is going in the right direction.

"It's like an operating agreement -- how do we meet, confer and solve problems," Tim Tosta, medical foundation attorney, told the Weekly.

Also, as an agreement between private parties, all of it may not be made public. But there is a high public interest in the safety plan, which has been monitored by Palo Alto police, so it is likely those details will be released.

The plan for the Opportunity Center had won widespread support, which was demonstrated by the two dozen speakers Monday night. Only one spoke in opposition, saying it would be a waste of time and money.

The Chamber of Commerce, League of Women Voters, housing advocates, church pastors, and members of the community all voiced support for the Opportunity Center, saying it was the right thing to do.

"It's a life-affirming step forward in a world that darkens by the day," said one resident, Chris London.

The housing for the lowest income people -- transitional housing -- would be for those "who are moving from nothing into something" and turning their lives around, said the Rev. Kemp Segerhammer, pastor of First Lutheran Church in Palo Alto.

"It's been a long, hard struggle," said Margaret Irwin, rector of All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. That church, along with First Presbyterian, convened the group five years ago that became the Community Working Group. Now, she added, "that dream is close enough that we can almost reach out and touch it."

Council support was effusive.

Councilman Vic Ojakian likened the Opportunity Center to two other projects: Alma Plaza, which is slated for low-income housing, and a housing project for disabled people.

"People said it couldn't be done," Ojakian said, because of the expenses involved, but it happened.

"Our community wants this project," Kleinberg concluded, along with everyone else.

Councilman Jim Burch noted that the homeless people who are here "are part of our city, and we have to take care of them."

Don Kazak can be emailed at dkazak@paweekly.com