Homeless arrive here on Friday

Twenty new residents will be moving into Ballard on Feb. 29 and they won't be owners of the numerous condominiums overwhelming the area.

Trinity United Methodist Church will be a permanent host for a SHARE/WHEEL (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort/Women's Housing Equality and Enhancement League) shelter. The group's Veteran's Hall facility is closing and moving its operation to Trinity.

"We are getting a SHARE shelter that is up and running. We are getting an intact group (of residents)," said Trinity United Methodist Church pastor Rich Lang.

The residents will be a mix of men and women. Some are couples. They will sleep in the church gymnasium on mats.

Lang said the church's vision is to eventually provide storage units for their belongings. A shower room is now being remodeled.

Trinity may provide a breakfast at some point in the future. Currently the church only has a Saturday lunch program for the homeless. Lang said neighbors around the church have seen the soup kitchen in operation for a year without incident.

Lang has met with the residents who will be coming to Ballard. "Many have jobs or are looking for work. They are highly functional people," said Lang.

He said the people he has met are working hard to get off the streets and are a stable group. Residents will have access to the church gymnasium from 9 p.m. to 7:30 a.m.

"We want to create a culture of stability, so they can focus on pulling their lives together and save money to get into apartments," said Lang.

Members of Trinity United Methodist Church's congregation voted unanimously to accept the SHARE/WHEEL shelter.

A mailing to 500 neighbors informed them of the move and they were invited to attend a public meeting on Feb. 17. Only four people showed up and they wanted to know how to help out.

"They were there to be supportive," said Lang.

Trinity United Methodist Church hosted the first Tent City in Ballard seven years ago and overcame neighbor concerns about the roving homeless camp.

"People have tremendous capacity and compassion to offer a hand to those seeking help," said Lang.

The shelter at Trinity will hardly be noticeable said Lang. He did expect an increase in bus riders in the morning hours with the shelter operating along with Tent City nearby.

Tent City 3 is moving to Our Redeemer's Church from March 1 to April 26.