SLIDES: Kenton’s Emmanuel Community Services Shelter
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Tuesday, March 10, 2015
GoLocalPDX News Team
Emmanuel Community Services (ECS) runs a reunification shelter at the site of the Comfy Inn, at 8355 N. Interstate, where children coming out of the foster care system can live with their mothers in a temporary, supervised shelter for up to 30 days.
The Emmanuel Shelter, an interim housing project for which ECS first won a no-bid contract in August 2013 worth $280,000, is run through the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) and state Department of Human Services (DHS).
But neighbors report seeing children unsupervised, parents in the nearby bars, and complain of the shelter’s proximity to “Dancin’ Bare,” an exotic dance club.
Related Slideshow: Emmanuel Community Services Reunification Shelter
An innovative program in North Portland’s Kenton neighborhood has drawn scrutiny from neighbors for not delivering the services it was contracted to do, while endangering the people it is intended to serve
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Emmanuel Community Services (ECS) runs a reunification shelter at the site of the Comfy Inn, at 8355 N. Interstate, where children coming out of the foster care system can live with their mothers in a temporary, supervised shelter for up to 30 days.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Kenton business owners are unconvinced of the program’s effectiveness, and the process through which ECS acquired the contract.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Safety issues have come to the forefront among business owners and neighbors in Kenton, outlined in a Feb. 19 letter from the Kenton Business Association (KBA) to local electeds including North Portland’s Rep. Tina Kotek and Sen. Chip Shields.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
MESD spokesperson Laura Conroy said the district has never conducted an audit into the program. ECS is also subject to evaluation by DHS. It is unclear whether the DHS has conducted an evaluation.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
The Emmanuel Shelter, an interim housing project for which ECS first won a no-bid contract in August 2013 worth $280,000, is run through the Multnomah Education Service District (MESD) and state Department of Human Services (DHS).
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Neighbors report seeing children unsupervised, parents in the nearby bars, and complain of the shelter’s proximity to “Dancin’ Bare,” an exotic dance club.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
According to DHS spokeswoman Andrea Cantu-Schomus, there was no request for proposals (RFP) from other non-profits because the Emmanuel Shelter is an “innovative pilot project.” Although it is an “innovative pilot project,” Cantu-Schomus said the Emmanuel Shelter is not the state’s first reunification program.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Emmanuel Community Services has been a 501(c)3 designated organization since 1995, and has extensive experience with gang outreach programs. The organization sprung from the Emmanuel Temple Church in North Portland, founded in 1984.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
Compared to the property’s $441,330 value, one year, or 365 nights, at $47.50 per night coupled with 365 nights at $60.00, for 15 units, is $588,562.50.
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The Emmanuel Shelter
The landlord, Bhavin Patel, paid no property tax on the building last year, still denoted as a motel according to Portland Maps. Patel would not say how much the state or ECS is paying him for the annual lease.
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