Homeless Shelter to Close on Sunday

Valhalla Drive site had been up and running more than three months after contentious battle to open it occurred.

March 15, 2008

BURBANK — As the winter homeless shelter in Burbank prepares to close, the city continues to ramp up its efforts to provide for the areas homeless population.

The 150-person-capacity shelter, on the 3800 block of Valhalla Drive, plans to close Sunday after more than three months of service and a contentious battle to open the site.

The Los Angeles-based Union Rescue Mission volunteered to run the shelter after the Glendale National Guard Armory was forced to close for repairs during the winter.

On Dec. 4, the City Council approved the armory as an acceptable location to house the shelter after a lengthy meeting in which more than a dozen speakers took turns speaking for and against the site, and council members debated the merits of opening up the city to a homeless shelter for the first time, which happened on Dec. 12.

For the past two months, the shelter has averaged about 130 people per night, a sharp increase from the first week when about a dozen spent the night under the tall ceilings and wide expanse of the armory.

But as the closing date nears, people are starting to leave, said Carrie Gatlin, the rescue mission’s vice president of government relations.

“Our numbers are going down each night. Some are going to [shelters in Glendale], some are disappearing,” she said. “Some of the more vulnerable we've tried to put in transitional housing.”

For rescue mission Chief Executive Andy Bales, the closing of the shelter is bittersweet.

“We've had some really great people come through here,” he said. “One 87-year-old woman who came over here from Asia found her daughter living on the street and decided to be homeless with her for over a year. We gave them a motel voucher and found them a permanent shelter. Others have gotten jobs and landed on their feet.

“But lots of people are frantic about the closure. Were trying to connect people with permanent shelters and going to continue working . the city to come up with a year-round solution. We are here . with . to assist Burbank and Glendale.”

The city of Burbank is working on finding solutions to accommodate the areas transients, said Councilman Dave Golonski, who, along with Councilwoman Anja Reinke and city staff members, make up the city's Homeless Services Subcommittee.

“We are going to look at the needs of the homeless population and services provided [in Burbank] to see where there are gaps,” he said. “One of the apparent gaps is that we have no year-round shelter for homeless people with children.”

Golonski and other council members have toured Glendale, including the 40-bed PATH Achieve center, which is open to families, in an attempt to better understand the areas where Burbank can provide for its own homeless population, he said.

“We can look to Glendale as a good model,” he said.

Burbank will also look to some of its service providers and faith-based leaders to help carry the load for the homeless, Mayor Marsha Ramos said.

She has met with leaders of churches and synagogues in Burbank, some of whom have already agreed to house some homeless people at night.

Ramos said the idea of a permanent homeless shelter was “possible,” and Barbara Howell, head of the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, said if a location is chosen, it should be jointly run by officials with Burbank and Glendale.

“Wherever it happens to be, both cities should share equally in the finances and providing volunteers,” she said. “With the armory, there was an issue of having the day care center so close. There are lots of places on San Fernando [Boulevard], warehouses and such. It would be close to both cities, and both cities could have equal access. It would not be in an area where you would worry about the day care center, and it doesn't require busing. There would be no cost for transportation.”

Joining with Glendale would also ensure that Burbank does not become a haven for homelessness, which some residents are concerned about, Howell said.

“If this is done in partnership with Glendale, it wont become a Santa Monica,” she said.