Commissioners talk homelessness and jail

BEMIDJI -- Beltrami County Commissioners discussed two topics at Tuesday's county board meeting that have been on the agenda throughout the year -- homelessness in the area and increased capacity and functionality in the jail.

People in tune with the homelessness situation in Bemidji have already heard of a possible shelter coming in the next three to five years. What's new is a potential funding source.

"This past year was an unprecedented year at the state Legislature. There was $100 million allocated for affordable housing," said Rick Klun, executive director with Center City Housing. "That's the first time that's ever happened. The year before it was $42 million and that had been unprecedented. There's a priority here in ending homelessness and developing affordable housing in the state of Minnesota."

Klun and representatives of Center City Housing (CCH), a Duluth-based housing development and management company, attended Tuesday's county board meeting to present findings of a homelessness needs assessment study done on the Bemidji area in the fall of 2013. The findings were presented in May to community members in Bemidji.

Patty Beech, CCH planning consultant and primary author of the assessment study outlined the study for commissioners. One of the key findings was Bemidji is lacking in homeless shelters in particular for single people, and the chronic inebriate population.

CCH properties include low-income housing, supportive housing, as well as living facilities that allow for consumption of alcohol. The San Marco facility, a CCH apartment building that allows alcohol, has proven successful in Duluth. Success stories can be viewed in the film, "No Losers," on YouTube at http://bit.ly/1nYUHAi. CCH has also developed facilities in St. Cloud and Rochester.

Klun said CCH was in Bemidji interviewing architectural firms last week and looking at site selection. Klun said the model CCH is looking at for Bemidji is much like the San Marco facility.

"It's really two programs under one roof with the same common entry," Klun explained.

San Marco has 70 units of which 30 are designated for chronic inebriates. Units include a living space and bathroom with shower. Chronic alcoholics do not cook their own meals, Klun explained, so there is a common eating hall.

"If you give people a nice place to live, they take pride in it," Klun said.

The other 40 units at San Marco are efficiency units for adult people who do not have chemical dependency issues who may just be homeless or have some mental health issues. Those units have a small kitchen.

"Both sides of the building have services available to them," Klun said. "So if you have a mental health issue, there is a mental health case worker in the building."

There is also an alcohol counselor in the building. Services are voluntary and the facility is staffed 24-hours a day 7-days a week. Klun said the staffing is necessary for safety of the occupants. Plans for a facility in Bemidji include approximately 50 units.

"At this point we are looking very seriously at doing a project here in Bemidji," Klun said. "The reason we're taking this so seriously is because of what Patty learned in the needs assessment."

The outcome of the study contained figures that support the claim homelessness is a regional problem in the Bemidji area -- including rural communities and the Leech Lake, Red Lake and White Earth Reservations.

Statewide survey results for the 12-county Northwest region, which includes Beltrami County, show homelessness grew 170 percent from 2009 to 2012. There were 666 people identified as homeless in 2012, according to the study.

"We were shocked when we learned about the lack of housing and the homelessness situation in Beltrami County including the three reservations," Klun said.

Beech explained survey results do not include homeless counts on reservations because they do their own. She added CCH has heard American Indians are over-represented in the homeless population.

Following CCH's presentation, commissioners added an item to the consent agenda for the regular board meeting. Beltrami County Health and Human Services Director Becky Secore was authorized to begin researching funding to help support a sustainable housing project for homeless people in the area.

Klun said Group Residential Housing funds are available to counties through the state of Minnesota. GRH money is awarded by slots accumulated in each county.

"There are a finite amount of slots in the state," Klun explained. "What we've learned is some counties have knowingly, or unknowingly, been banking slots for years."

Klun proposed Secore check with other counties to see if they would be willing to give up unused slots. Secore said she would be happy to research the option.

Jail project

Following the CCH presentation, commissioners were updated on the jail remodel project by Mike Clark with DLR Group. Commissioners were informed local Widseth Smith Nolting of Bemidji will be working with the DLR project team on upcoming construction plans.

Included in the jail project is a centralized booking area on the main level, renovating the existing kitchen, utilizing existing space in the jail annex and an overall streamlining of processes.

"Plans have developed considerably since last time we were here," Clark said.

So too has the cost of the project. As Clark ran down the numbers, the construction project that was estimated to cost $4.1 million climbed to $4.5 million.

"The construction industry is making a significant recovery from the recessionary period we had," Clark said. "Our estimators are telling us it is going to continue ... our numbers plan for that."

As the project progressed, the scope of the work changed, Commissioner Jim Lucachick acknowledged. One jump in cost is a $75,000 elevator upgrade that wasn't in original plans.

"This thing has grown substantially," Lucachick said. "Jails are expensive to remodel."

In the past 35 years, the inmate population had increased at least 400 percent, said Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp. The jail is approximately 30-years-old, so the design has become outdated.

"We're really headed in the right direction in the safety of the inmates and the staff," Hodapp said.

In regard to staff, the jail will need to add another five employees to supervise the centralized booking area 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. The facilities occupancy will also increase by 15 beds.

"Unfortunately we're bumping up against our maximum occupation rate right now," Hodapp said. "We're repurposing that space within a secure foot print...I think people will understand that."

Beltrami County Administrator Kay Mack said details of funding for the project will be discussed during the county board's next work session on Oct. 21.