Good Sam Microshelters

An Update by Ruth Krueger

The microshelter project at Good Sam is moving forward quickly. With the Vestry’s final approval of the project in September, came two town hall meetings: One with the residents of Samaritan Village and one with our neighbors who live around the perimeter of the church. Both meetings were a great success. Shawn Collins of Unity Shelter, along with members of the SafePlace staff and a city representative, were there to provide information and answer questions. There were many good questions, all of which were answered to our neighbors’ satisfaction.

Speaking of our church neighbors, since making the announcement about the microshelters to the College Hill neighborhood by mailing, we have received a great deal of positive feedback. People are appreciative of our efforts to make a difference in the lives of the houseless in our community. It has been heartening to hear of the Good Samaritan in all of us.

We are taking the first steps toward the actual placement of the microshelters. Shawn Collins is helping us file for a permit with the city, which should be completed soon. We do not foresee any problems getting the permit approved. An electrician with the city is coming out this week to take a look at our electrical system, in order to prepare to install the electric source for the microshelters. Shawn predicts that we could have the shelters installed as soon as 6 weeks from now, although it could take a little longer if we run into any roadblocks, as can happen with any development project. The microshelters are already built, it is now a matter of preparing the location, setting them up, getting the water and drainage situation installed, ordering the porta-pot, and finally, moving in the residents.

See Shawn’s slides on how tiny homes work »

I will be working with Rev. Jen Butler, who oversees Safe Camp, to organize and establish our Microshelter Ministry Team. It is unclear at this time what all the ministry team will be doing, but we know that we will be offering hospitality to our new residents, as well as serving as a communication liaison to our current neighbors.

The Microshelter Work Group is excited to see this project coming to fruition after many months of working toward the goal of housing a few people on our church property. We are all blessed to be given this opportunity to live out our name and be Good Samaritans. We want to thank you for your support! If the team can answer any questions for you, or if you’d like to leave a comment, you can reach us by email.