‘We’re ignored’: Homeless residents, county board cite issues with YCAP

Comments from unhoused residents at Thursday’s Yamhill County Board of Commissioners meeting led to a discussion on the dais about frustrations with local nonprofit Yamhill Community Action Partnership over issues with shelters and response to clients.

Homeless residents Tamsyn Cranmer and Charles Jones expressed concerns over shelter options with cold weather coming and said YCAP has often caused more harm than good for fellow unhoused residents.

Cranmer said McMinnville’s 36-bed Navigation Center (which was originally supposed to open in May) has been delayed again until early next year, which would leave few options for the city’s unhoused.

“There’s no protection for those of us that live outside in McMinnville as YCAP is the only option for us here and that concerns me,” Cranmer said. “I’ve been telling people about the lack of services through YCAP and the traumatizing way that the services that are available happen.”

“No one seems to notice how a whole group of people are being left outside to die.”

YCAP Deputy Director Amber Hansen-Moore didn’t confirm or deny another delay in the opening of the Newberg Navigation center in a response to the News-Register, only noting they would like to open before winter weather and that shelter will continue to be provided at First Baptist Church and at 30 motel Project Turnkey rooms.

“YCAP received certificate occupancy of the building on (Sept. 27) from the City of McMinnville. Unfortunately, there are warranty issues related to health and safety that need to be addressed in the facility in regards to sprinkler heads and a fire exit,” Hansen-Moore said. “Fackler Construction and YCAP are working through those issues as quickly as possible.”

Cranmer said her family obtained housing through YCAP five years ago but was “treated unfairly” and the lease was terminated for mistakes made by YCAP. She did not elaborate on the situation.

She also expressed frustration with criminal trespass charges issued by McMinnville Police, as the charges can disqualify people through rental background checks for up to three years.

“Every time you get a criminal trespass charge you can’t be housed for three years and (Mac PD are) handing those things out like they’re candy to the people that YCAP is refusing to help,” she said. “We’re ignored and penalized for not being able to get help.”

Jones said he stays at the Yamhill County Gospel Rescue Mission two days a week, but is concerned that shelter could close before the Navigation Center opens. Jones gets monthly disability payments and has support services and weekly therapy, but the delay makes his prospects bleak for the winter months.

“I can’t stay warm,” he said. “If they close the shelter I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

Commissioner Mary Starrett asked both for their email to follow-up with other agencies and said the board has also had issues with YCAP.

“We’ve had our frustrations with responses from YCAP and no longer have an involvement with them based on they took an action to remove county commissioner from their board of directors and we’re not players anymore,” she said. “What we have found is, in terms of oversight, when you’re dealing with a nonprofit … it’s as if they’re in this bubble.”

“It seems there’s sort of this protective barrier and we can’t break through it in terms of folks that are addressing some pretty significant life and death issues. We’ve been hamstrung in this process.”

Newberg-based Community Wellness Collective board member Elise Hollamon said the Newberg Any Door Place Navigation Center hasn’t met expectations and support services work is being handled by her organization out of the drop-in center at 2nd Street Community Church.

“I am very concerned about the Navigation Center in McMinnville now also being pushed out. We have zero navigation in Newberg, it is strictly sheltering,” she said. “We are completely not funded through YCAP anymore. We are now in conversation directly with (Oregon Housing and Community Services).”

Starrett also cited concerns with the Newberg Navigation Center.

“The Newberg shelter was supposed to be a one-stop shop, ‘here are the services, hook you up with all the different things so you know where to go, because it’s so complicated,” she said. “What we have now is a Monday through Friday shelter. On the weekends you’re on your own, and go figure it out. And it’s from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., but the rest of the time the church … is the quote-unquote pop-up navigation center.”

The Newberg center -  in addition to 18 motel rooms YCAP rents in Newberg - have served 222 individuals since December 2023 and 44 of those people have been moved into stable housing, according to Hansen-Moore.

“YCAP currently provides shelter five days a week through its Anydoor Place Newberg shelter and will be opening that up to seven days per week as soon as additional construction and renovation is completed at the site,” she said. “In addition, YCAP case managers operate out of ADP Newberg. Construction setbacks for the modular addition were the result of delays from the city of Newberg permitting department which finally approved the modular siting in September.”

Hollamon recommended a meeting with OHCS on funding and oversight for YCAP.

“I feel like we do have a moment right now as it’s getting cold again, coming up on inclement weather when we had zero sheltering options provided by YCAP last winter as we all remember,” she said. “We’re going to have the same scenario happen — now without a shelter in Newberg — and for my conscience I feel like it’s an opportunity for us to come together and try to have a conversation in person with OHCTS.”n

Starrett said OHCS and the governor’s office are “very well aware” of funding concerns with Community Action Agencies and agreed a meeting would be a good step.

Commission Chair Lindsay Berschauer said CAA funding and expenditures are becoming a regional or statewide discussion at the legislative level.

“What kind of legislation can we put into place to force accountability since we can’t get into the books?” she asked. “There’s no oversight, they have their own board, it’s a nonprofit. We have no direct oversight yet they’re receiving multimillion dollars of public funding.

“It’s risen to the level of concern — not just here but presumably statewide — that folks are wondering where the money’s going because it’s not being seen on the street,” Berschauer said.

Legislation already exists to require accountability from YCAP and other state-funded nonprofits, Hansen-Moore said.

“We are monitored and audited extensively and have no significant or outstanding deficiencies from those state monitoring entities,” she said.

YCAP has a transparent and effective relationship with the City of McMinnville (which partnered with the agency on the McMinnville Navigation Center) and is being unfairly scrutinized by the BOC, according to Hansen-Moore.

“While YCAP is transparent, we are concerned that we continue to be singled out for additional scrutiny due to financial, personal and political motivations,” she said.

Hansen-Moore cited a lower count of children and elderly experiencing homelessness in this year’s Point in Time count as a marker for success in prioritizing vulnerable populations and said the nonprofit has been looking to expand the motel sheltering program despite roadblocks from the county commissioners.

“Despite approving an $889,000 grant on (Nov. 2), Yamhill County Commissioners failed to uphold their commitment to release funding necessary to provide emergency shelter for families in the community,” she said. “YCAP could have served more clients if Yamhill County Commissioners had not backtracked on their funding commitment for emergency shelter.”

Despite the withheld funding, Project Turnkey has been able to provide 30 rooms through community support and state funding that resulted in 82% of tenants not returning to homelessness when exiting the shelter, Hansen-Moore said.

Berschauer agreed a meeting with OHCS officials is in order.

“If you’re able to get some type of meeting with OHCS then we should probably be at the table to talk about some of these concerns from the county level,” she told Hollamon.

Earlier in the meeting, Jones pleaded for more help from YCAP.

“They totally ignore us,” he said. “They’ve got to do something or I’m going to die and I’m not ready to die.”