MOSES LAKE, Wash. – The homeless sleep shelter in Moses Lake shut its doors Monday following pressure from local businesses on the city council. Many in the community are now expressing concerns over the impact of the closure.
Residents like Steven Glaesman shared their fears about the closure.
“They’re just gonna throw away everyone’s stuff that’s left,” he said.
People were asked to clear out by 9 a.m., but the process took longer for many due to the volume of their belongings.
City crews dismantled structures at the shelter while a dozen police officers were present for security. No arrests were made during the process.
A petition by more than 400 business leaders and community members was sent to the city council in April, calling for the shelter’s closure. The city’s strict laws against sitting on sidewalks and sleeping in parks and cars leave those experiencing homelessness with limited options.
Some individuals mentioned they might have to move into the wetlands behind the sleep center. Glaesman expressed concerns about the city’s drug crisis worsening due to the closure.
“I carried Narcan and did CPR on a lot of these people out here. From where we are standing right now, most of the homeless drug use was contained within a quarter mile of this area. Now, who knows where they’re gonna go, and who knows who they’re gonna be using with?” Glaesman said.
Hope Source, the nonprofit that operated the shelter, reported that more than one thousand people stayed there and exited the program, with about 70 percent moving on to more stable housing.
The city will continue leasing the property until the end of September. They hope to sell the sheds to potentially open a new shelter. Church groups and nonprofits have shown interest in collaborating to establish a new shelter, but no concrete plans have been made yet.
