Emotional debate over homeless housing splits Pasco council. Protesters demanded ‘Enough!’
Pasco City Councilman David Milne struggled Tuesday night with a proposed real estate sale that would bring homeless housing to the city’s east side.
Saying he felt boxed in, Milne acknowledged he probably wouldn’t want it near his house but also recognized the facility would be good for Pasco.
The tie-breaking vote came down to him.
And, after a long pause, Milne said, “No” — eliciting claps and cheers from the overflow crowd at Pasco City Hall.
Catholic Charities Eastern Washington wants to build a four-story, 52-unit facility on the east side of Heritage Boulevard, between East Lewis and East “A” streets.
The Spokane-based religious organization offered to buy the city-owned property at full price for $127,400.
The facility would be known as Pasco Haven and serve chronically homeless people, which a representative described as people suffering from behavior illnesses and substance abuse disorders.
On-site services such as treatment and counseling would be provided to residents.
Some would be brought in from outside of the Tri-Cities.
A city hearing examiner already gave the green light for the project, saying it was an acceptable use of that space. Council members just had to give their approval for the city manager to sign sale documents.
Tuesday’s meeting was filled with many interruptions from the audience as council members discussed the research they’d done on other Catholic Charities properties — many visited the Yakima location last weekend — and shared their thoughts on the controversial Pasco project.
Mayor Pro Tem Blanche Barajas said it is “a very dear-to-my-heart situation because I lived it.”
She got emotional as she told the council she lives paycheck to paycheck and at one point was almost homeless, but for a landlord who let her stay for a year and owe on the rent.
In the end, the 4-3 vote stopped the Pasco development — for now.
Councilman Craig Maloney cautioned there’s a good chance a private landowner will accept an offer from Catholic Charities and sell their property. And if that happens, the city of Pasco won’t have any control over it and the neighborhood could be worse off, he said.
Maloney gave his support to the project, along with Barajas and Councilwoman Zahra Roach.
Catholic Charities has indicated they will continue to work to locate this project in Pasco, according to a city news release.
About 250 people attended the hearing. Many opponents wore black T-shirts printed with the cable bridge and either “One Pasco” or “Basta!,” which means “enough” in Spanish.
The council chambers was packed with about 120, while the rest were moved to the nearby police station’s community room to watch the livestream on a big screen.
Those who couldn’t make it to City Hall tuned in online through Pasco’s Facebook page.
City officials said Wednesday morning that the livestream was probably its most watched and most commented on video, with 1,900 views and 141 comments so far.
Former Pasco Mayor Matt Watkins weighed in on the city’s Facebook page: “Tough call. More community discussion is clearly needed.”
Mayor Saul Martinez said he toured a Catholic Charities facility in Yakima and in Spokane, but noted that Pasco is not either of those cities. He questioned how the organization will maintain everything they promised, including security.
Martinez said he realizes the homeless will be affected with the council rejecting the proposal, but said “the reality is we’re here to serve our community.”
He asked people to respect the decision made by each council member, no matter their vote, because they are “putting their lives, heart and soul into the job.”
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 11:12 AM.