Public invited to air concerns about moving Olympia’s homeless mitigation site
A virtual public listening session has been scheduled for Monday, Nov. 8 for Olympians to express their concerns, provide comments and ask questions of city staff regarding a planned move of the Downtown Mitigation Site.
The session, which will take place on Zoom at 5 p.m., centers on the homeless mitigation site located in downtown Olympia on Franklin Street. The site opened in 2018 as a temporary response to the growing number of individuals living in tents downtown.
The proposed plan is to have the site moved to 1211 Quince St. SE, near Interstate 5.
According to the release, the new site will allow the city to improve support for those who live there, which would include more space for case managers, security cameras and more.
“Mitigation has helped get people off the street downtown and into tiny homes where they can stabilize and connect with services like case management, housing search and substance-use treatment,” said City Manager Jay Burney in the news release.
But some residents, particularly parents whose children attend nearby St. Michael Parish School, already have written letters expressing concern about the safety of their children if the site is moved so close to the school.
Those interested in attending the listening session can register in advance here.
This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 10:42 AM.
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