Open Doors Sleep Center’s future uncertain

MOSES LAKE – On Monday, city officials from Moses Lake, Soap Lake, Warden and Royal City, alongside Grant County Commissioner Rob Jones, met at the Open Doors Sleep Center for a tour of the facility and to discuss the future of the shelter.  

Moses Lake Housing and Grants Manager Lizabeth Murillo Busby said she has concerns about the future of the sleep center and the impact on the local community, especially regarding crime, if the shelter went away.  

“I think the biggest concern that the City of Moses Lake sees is just sustainability,” Busby said. “There are a lot of problems that we see in our community with the unhoused population and we’re looking to the future to see what is next. The City of Moses Lake has taken the full responsibility of renting the sleep center since its inception in 2021. Which has been great, but I do think that there is potential for it to be even better and for us to serve the community in better ways.”  

Busby said the city spends around $50,000 per month renting the shower and bathroom facility and office. Of that, about $30,000 goes to the city's partner, Hope Source, and other expenses to keep the doors open.  

“My responsibilities, mainly on behalf of the city, include taking care of the actual facilities on site. So, any maintenance and upkeep, any of that sort really falls on through the city's responsibility,” Busby said. “A lot of the actual operations day-to-day falls on the responsibility of (Hope Source), and that is subcontracted work, and it's a really great partnership. Not to say that it's been perfect. We've had our growing pains, but we're finally there. There's been a lot of good work being done here.” 

During the July 23, 2024, Moses Lake City Council meeting, members voted 5-2 to accept an emergency housing grant, which will provide funding for the sleep center through July 2025. Council members Dustin Swartz and Victor Lombardi voted no. The $585,000 grant is used to fund the sleep center, located at the intersection of East Broadway Avenue and State Route 17.  

The shelter can hold up to 40 people. The doors open at 5 p.m. for check-in. People come in, fill out forms and are then assigned to a dwelling. During a resident's stay, they have access to dinner, donated goods, an opportunity for a 15–20-minute shower and a roof over their heads. The shelters do not have access to electricity or heat but are insulated to protect people from the elements.  

Recently, the shelter upgraded several of the shelters to be ADA accessible, adding a ramp that accesses six shelters with beds with mattresses instead of cots. All of the facilities have a lock for people to secure at night. There are also receptacles with locks for people to secure their belongings in. Staff stay until around 10 p.m. and the city paid security contractor stays all night monitoring the facility.  

Busby said many nights, the shelter has to turn people away. 

“It’s a complex issue,” Busby said. “You run into instances from anywhere from housing issues and stability, vacancy rates and affordability to really our community is really poverty ridden. I think this community comes together here in a great way and there are a lot of services that people can access here.” 

In order for those who use the shelter to reestablish themselves with permanent shelter, jobs and other basic needs, more resources need to be added to the facility and the region, Busby said. In the meantime though, the goal is to keep them safe. 

“It’s really substantial to have a place where people can check-in and get a sense of safety, even if it’s just for eight hours a night,” she said.  

Busby explained the current set-up is not going to be effective in the long run, with Moses Lake taking the brunt of the responsibilities, especially because the shelter serves community members from across Grant County. She said she hopes to see other cities join in on the efforts. 

The shelter has an intake form for people to fill out prior to staying; although the form isn’t required, it helps the shelter keep track of who is using the facility. According to numbers collected by the shelter as of Sept. 30, 2024, they have served 824 different people since opening in 2021. Many of those are repeat users of the sleep center. Moses Lake residents were served the most, with 730 people using the facility at least once.  

Ephrata and Soap Lake both had 10 residents use the facility. Quincy had eight residents use the sleep center. Warden had six residents use the facility. There were five residents from Adams County. Chelan County had four residents use the facility. Royal City had three residents use the sleep center. Spokane County had two residents use the facility.  

Spokane, Lake View, East Wenatchee, Seattle, Othello, Coulee City, Kittitas County, Okanogan County, Yakima County, Douglas County, Walla Walla County, Pacific County, Whitman County, Franklin County, King County, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Florida and Illinois all had one resident stay with the sleep shelter.  

Busby said these numbers are data collected based on the intake form, though 24 residents of the facility have refused to answer the residency question.  

“Currently, the City of Moses Lake is not interested in expanding the operations of the Open Doors Sleep Center,” Busby said. “In fact, that's actually what we're trying to figure out - what's next."  

Busby told the officials who attended the tour of the facility that the main reason they were there was to ensure they were aware that Moses Lake sees the current situation as unsustainable in the long term, at least alone.  

“So, we're really looking to partner with other cities and agencies because I can guarantee you, we do serve your residents. We serve all Grant County residents. Historically, we will serve anyone that comes in here, not just from Moses Lake,” she said. 

Busby said she has concerns over the future of the Open Doors Sleep Center. Although the city will continue to have the grant until July of this year, she said she is concerned if action isn’t taken, the city may not accept the grant again. That refusal would result in the shelter's closing. No official action has been taken on the matter; however, Busby strongly suggests citizens speak with their local city council members to either provide solutions or learn more about the problem of homelessness in the region. 

“I think for a lot of us, it’s kind of been erased from our memories, but I remember when there were tents everywhere over our bridge,” Busby said. “Although the laws have been changed and there is more in favor of enforcement, it would still be really disastrous if we saw the change of the sleep center closing because Moses Lake isn’t willing to operate it anymore. On a nightly basis we are housing about 40 individuals, so just imagine 40 more individuals in the streets.”  

The impact of that change would be significant for area residents and businesses, she said. 

“Crime rates would go up. A lot of the clients who stay here will tell you ‘Because I was here, I stayed out of trouble last night’ and that is just because they are not out on the streets,” she said. 

Correction: HopeSource is the city's partner in operating the sleep center. This correction has been integrated into the above story.

City Council meetings: 

To learn more about how area cities are addressing the problem of homelessness, or to suggest solutions to help those who are unsheltered in your community, attend a city council meeting.

Coulee City and Grand Coulee – Second and fourth Wednesday 6:30 p.m. at City Hall (306 Midway Ave.)  

Ephrata – First and third Wednesday 6 p.m. at City Hall (121 Alder St. Southwest) 

George – Third Tuesday 7 p.m. at George Community Hall (403 West Montmorency Blvd.)  

Mattawa – First and third Thursdays 5:30 p.m. at Mattawa City Hall (521 Government Road)  

Moses Lake – Second and fourth Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Moses Lake Civic Center (401 South Balsam) 

Quincy – First and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Quincy City Hall (104 B St. Southwest) 

Royal City – First and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. at City Hall (445 Camelia St. Northeast) 

Soap Lake – First and third Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Soap Lake Senior Center (121 Second Ave. Southeast) 

Warden – Second and fourth Monday at 7 p.m. at Council Chambers (201 South Ash) 

    Lizabeth Murillo Busby answers questions of Soap Lake City Council woman Kaylee Bryson.
  

    Grant County Commissioner Rob Jones attended the tour today. Jones is the commissioner assigned to the Grant County Homeless Task Force.
  

    A view from the Open Doors Sleep Center shelters. While the shelters don't have electricity, they do protect clients from the elements during inclement weather.