Overwhelming opposition in political circles and on social media have caused Grace Wins Haven to withdraw from its arrangement to house Lincoln City’s homeless at its warming shelter in Newport.
Traci Flowers, who oversees the Newport shelter North County homeless would be bused to, said Newport Mayor-elect Dean Sawyer adamantly opposes Lincoln City City Manager Ron Chandler’s plan and doesn’t want to begin relationships with the new city government on a sour note.
“I’m not going to be a part of this unless the City is behind it,” Flowers said. “I don’t think it’s a great idea, but I’m not going to let people die.”
Efforts to reach Sawyer and Newport City Manager Spencer Nebel for comment have gone unanswered.
Lincoln City Warming Shelter President Patrick Alexander said busing his clients to Newport can only be considered “a short-term stopgap measure” while a local site is worked out.
Chandler has scheduled two meetings this week to discuss overnight housing in the Taft area – 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 20, at the Driftwood Public Library, and 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 21, at the North Lincoln County Historical Museum.
Announcement of the plan, first posted yesterday (Sunday, Nov. 18) on Homepage and shared on Facebook, has generated nearly 8,000 views, with the vast majority of users expressing disdain and condemning the plan.
Plans made to bus Lincoln City homeless to Newport for temporary shelter
This is very wrong.what do the people in LINColn city do know to keep warm?.
I hope they find a place to house these people,what does Mr sawyer want these people to freeze to death?.
I’m hoping a church will come through, so sad.
I completely agree. Some of these people have no way there and then back again. There has got to be a closer, more convenient way. Very sad makes my heart hurt for them.
Maybe someone could volunteer to carpool them? To the shelter.
Businesses could donate food.hot drinks.it is the holidays.grinches.
These people are people.human beings.
I’m with traci on this 1. I don’t want anyone to die, but we can’t bring everyone’s problems to Newport.
The city on Lincoln city City council must quit acting like the arrogant babies they are. Lincoln city has an adequate emergency shelter but because it’s on Property owned by the Mayor and not Zoned correctly the Self Righteous Arrogant City Council, would rather watch the Homeless freeze on the streets, than provide the proper zoning in a timely manner and they DO HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY permission to the existing shelter, The city Manager and Planning Director are complicit in this NON ACTION by the Council and should be held accountable for and DEATHS AND OR TRAUMA experienced by homeless persons in Lincoln City!! Shipping Lincoln Cities Homeless to Newport is unnecessary and ill advised just because the Lincoln City Council is arrogant,uncaring and doesn’t like the Mayor.
There are so many vacant facilities in L.C. that someone is paying mortgage payments on. What on earth is wrong with this??? City of Lincoln City is just like Mark Jones said (Acting like arrogant babies” Who gives a hoot about the zoning????? That is small town politics.