Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless one step closer to opening Warm Room

After meeting with the City, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, police, neighbors and other interested parties, the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) is one step closer to opening a warm room for the winter in South Lake Tahoe and could be open by January 1, 2018.

Many concerns about their chosen location arose on Tuesday as a proposition to move into the old Unity at the Lake building was proposed to the SLT City Council. With temperatures dipping below 20 degrees and winter ahead, TCH needed to find a home for the season. They had been searching for a home and unable to find a new landlord. The Unity at the Lake building, owned by the City, was vacant after the church moved after getting a one-year notice to vacate in order to have a new construction headquarters for next year's recreation center project. Since there are a few months before crews move in, proponents of finding a warm place for homeless to be at night suggested using the vacant building for that purpose.

While on paper it made sense, many locals didn't want homeless coming to the building which is near homes, the recreation center, the Lake Tahoe Boys and Girls Club, South Tahoe Middle School, play fields and a school bus stop.

After Tuesday's City Council meeting, a group of interested partners got together to hammer out concerns and work out details. They met Wednesday and developed terms and conditions to include in a lease which is expected to be drafted before Christmas.

SLT City Manager Nancy Kerry said the lease is expected to include the following, but she reiterated that a lease has not yet been drafted:

- Term: Jan 1 to March 31, with month-to-month thereafter (or a month to month)
- Hours of operation: 7:00 p.m. opening, closing between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
- Staffing ratios – city will require 1:30 Coalition staff to guest ratio
- Rent: Rent will be all-inclusive of all utilities . Rent amount to be 75% of previous rent (75% of $1,700 or $1,275); however, City will agree to $1,100 of rent to be applied to the enhanced security requirements as set forth below:
- Security: Coalition is required to engage Third Party security patrol services for patrolling of the warm room and immediate surrounding neighborhood area (to be identified on an agreed upon map). In addition, Coalition will also contract for site specific security personnel M-F 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Further, the week middle school reopens after holiday break (January 8 – 12) Coalition to contract for additional security 1:00 pm. to 5:00 pm.
- Coalition to provide necessary insurance to indemnify City and name City as additionally insured.
- Coalition to post “Warm Room rules” on site which include but are not limited to: guests prohibited (to legal extent) from using City’s recreation center as “holding room,” to avoid loitering in and around neighborhood and campground. - Termination: City may provide “cease and desist operations” at any time Coalition to be found in violation of terms of lease, a 72-hour notice for ceasing operations will be extended if possible; Coalition’s lease may be completely terminated with 2 weeks notice for any reason.

The proposed location of the new warm room is at 1195 Rufus Allen Boulevard. The building's former tenants, Unity at the Lake, has relocated to Plaza 89 located at 870 Emerald Bay Road in South Lake Tahoe.

Prior to January 1, a temporary warm room is being considered for the Lake Tahoe Community Presbyterian Church at 2733 Lake Tahoe Boulevard, a location that already serves Friday night meals to those in need. No permits have yet been issued for this spot. If approved, the church seeks to house the Warm Room for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.