PORT ANGELES — Services for the homeless are expanding in Port Angeles and Sequim, and volunteers associated with Serenity House are researching a plan to convert a shuttered school into a campus for homeless families and youth.
About 30 people from the Shelter Providers Network of Clallam County met last week to discuss the progress of local organizations to provide shelter and services to the Clallam County homeless population.
One of the concepts for additional housing under consideration is the conversion of Fairview Elementary School, 166 Lake Farm Road, east of Port Angeles.
Jean Pratschner, a volunteer with Serenity House, is spearheading the investigation into whether the 9.4-acre property, including the 26,568-square-foot main building, can be converted into a shelter for homeless families and teenagers.
Fairview, built in 1973 and upgraded in 1978, was closed in 2007 because of declining enrollment in the Port Angeles School District.
Dropped plan
In 2014, the district approved an $814,000 offer from a business owner who planned to convert the property into a marijuana farm and processing facility, but after legal challenges from neighbors who opposed the sale, the offer was dropped.
Each of the nine classrooms would be converted into a hotel-like family suite, with the school kitchen used as a community kitchen, and the gymnasium as a daycare center, indoor play area and classroom and computer lab area, Pratschner said.
The plan also includes a homeless youth shelter on the property, using donated RVs and “tiny house” buildings, with a communal bathroom, shower and laundry facility, she said.
Youth who choose to live in the two-person RVs or one-person tiny houses would be required to be enrolled in a school or job training program, such as high school, community college or vocational training, Pratschner said.
“Often homeless youth don’t come alone. They are boyfriend-girlfriend pairs or best friends,” she said.
She said the two-person RVs would be designated for these pairs.
The school is adjacent to a Clallam Transit bus stop for transportation, and there is room for a community garden on the property.
Pratschner said she has talked to the school district to establish the Port Angeles School District’s asking price and condition of the property.
No funding is available at this time, but Serenity House is looking for grants that would fit the project, she said.
Services at Serenity House’s individual adult overnight shelter are now allowing the users of its short-term program to stay during the day to use other services, such as accessing showers, said Kim Leach, executive director of Serenity House.
The proximity of the overnight shelter to the longer-term shelter has allowed more people to become familiar with the program, and some have made the transition into longer-term programs and housing, Leach said.
A new youth outreach program in Sequim will begin as a Wednesday-only program, with an eye toward expanding to additional days using community partners in Sequim, she said.
Leach said the organization defines “youth” as individuals 24 years old or younger.
The youth drop-in center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays in Sequim will begin offering initial services this week, she said.
The Serenity House office in Sequim is located at 583 W. Washington St.
In Sequim, a recent meeting of church leaders has established a new program that designates each church to offer different services to individuals, and to track who is using what services.
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 525 N. Fifth Ave. in Sequim, is central to organizing a database for faith-based services available in Sequim, organizing churches to each provide one service, and referring those in need to the right church for the right services, Leach said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56250, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
