The city has developed a report summarizing the community’s key accomplishments and services Safe Stay Community residents received in its first six months of operation

VANCOUVER – With the help of funding from the city of Vancouver’s Affordable Housing Fund, the City opened its first Safe Stay Community located at 11400 NE 51st Circle on city-owned right of way, on Dec. 23, 2021. 

More than six months later, it continues to provide the most vulnerable in our community with comfortable, dry and secure surroundings and access to high-quality, compassionate healthcare and social services while they work to transition out of homelessness.

The city has developed a report summarizing the community’s key accomplishments and services Safe Stay Community residents received in its first six months of operation (Dec. 23, 2021 – June 30, 2022). 

Key accomplishments include: 

• 74 referrals made to partner agencies for medical and mental health care, education, employment, housing, pet car and other benefits assistance 
• 14 people were transitioned to housing 
• 30 percent reduction in police calls and officer-initiated visits within a 500-foot radius of the community compared to the same time last year 
• 9.6 percent reduction in Fire/EMS calls to the community address compared to the same time last year

View the report.

Vancouver’s Safe Stay Community program, with a second site now open at 4915 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., continues to be a model for municipalities and organizations — both locally and nationwide — aspiring to develop similar programs. To date, more than 20 groups from as far away as Birmingham, Alabama and Chattanooga, Tennessee have reached out for information, guidance and/or to tour the sites.

Information provided by city of Vancouver.