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Neighbors complain about the Salvation Army's effort to accommodate more people at its North End campus. Shelter officials say with Boise's Community House closing, there's an even greater need for homeless services. However, neighbors say the Salvation Army's attempts to help the homeless are hurting homeowners.

Neighbors say they're already seeing problems as a result of the shelter's expansion, and they recently had a meeting to express their concerns. The meeting between neighbors, Salvation Army officers, and Boise city officials on Friday attracted nearly a hundred people. Residents were upset over the recent increase in shelter space which they say has subsequently brought more homeless to the area.

"They bring their beer they come sit on our lawn and they drink. That's definitely a problem, that's not something I want to open my door and let my child go out and play to that." said Dominique Naegele-Clifford, a mother who lives right across the street from the facility.

Clifford grew up in the neighborhood and says the problems have gotten worse as the facility across the street turned from a school for pregnant teens to emergency shelter for women and families. She said litter and parking problems are most frequent, but her main concern is the safety of the area's many children.

The Salvation Army has agreed to offer more capacity to, in part, make up for the loss of emergency shelter in Community House, which the city wants to get rid of. The North End facility hopes to have 70 beds available by October, and what makes many nearby homeowners so upset is that they say no one told them of the changes.

"I did not know, and none of the neighbors knew, that was the big wow," said Garth Newman, who lives two blocks from the campus. So they called the meeting, which some say offered little resolution.

"We felt that we had more questions after the meeting than we had before the meeting," said Newman. Others were a bit more hopeful that the meeting would eventually yield results.

"I think the meeting was productive. I think it showed the Salvation Army that we were concerned about what happened, but I think that it was more productive in getting us, as neighbors, together with a common voice," said Naegele-Clifford. However, the Salvation Army is one of the city's main solutions to a growing homeless problem, and without its space the homeless have few options.

"These people need a place to go, absolutely, that is a huge concern for us, we all feel that nobody should be homeless," said Clifford, "But at the same time, this is a residential neighborhood."

"We're not just saying, 'no, no, no,' what we have to portray is that we can come up with suggestions that will benefit everybody," said Newman.

Salvation Army officers could not be reached for comment Sunday, but did say previously the services are needed. They said the North End campus would hold a larger population than Community House currently holds once their expansion efforts are complete. Meanwhile, the neighbors will be meeting again tonight to search for solutions to their concerns. Newman said they are beginning an investigation into the Zoning and Conditional Use of the campus.

posted by Dominique @ 10:26 PM