Issues with the homeless

COEUR d'ALENE - Howard Martinson has a question for the city of Coeur d'Alene.

If Fresh Start, the homeless center of which he is executive director, was forced to move and ended up closing, where would its clients go? Where would they shower, use the bathroom or make a phone call?

The library, maybe, or perhaps the fire station or one of the city's parks.

"I don't know," the executive director said.

What he does know is that last year, Fresh Start served nearly 3,000 different people, saw more than 15,000 visits and provided more than 44,000 services.

"We cater to people that are hungry, cold, and don't have money. Maybe they just need a cup of coffee and someone to visit with," he said.

If a petition to have the center move from its two-year home at 16th and Sherman is successful, Martinson said it would be extremely difficult to find a new site.

Fresh Start has a long-term lease, made about $20,000 worth of improvements such as plumbing to the site, and relies on volunteers. Moving, he said, would be costly.

It's also a central location, serviced by Citylink and near several other social service agencies and a soup kitchen. Almost none of its clients have a car, so reaching the center if it moved to the Industrial Park off Atlas would be difficult.

"That's going to be a tall order for us," Martinson said. "I don't think we have the money to move."

The city of Coeur d'Alene is looking to determine whether Fresh Start is a public nuisance.

City Attorney Mike Gridley said last week that the city will review police records and calls for service to figure out if too much unwanted activity around Fresh Start deems it a public nuisance, possibly requiring the center to move.

A petition with 60 signatures and 25 pages of testimony from Fresh Start neighbors was turned in outlining problems near the homeless service center.

Martinson, who has been fighting cancer and underwent a stem cell replacement surgery, is easing back into his Fresh Start role. He spoke Monday to address neighbors' concerns.

He said that there are about 10 clients - out of thousands who are homeless, near homeless and mentally ill - who have exhibited problem behavior.

While they try to be good neighbors, it doesn't always work out that way.

Fresh Start enforces numerous rules, such as no littering, swearing, drinking or panhandling. Those who break them are suspended temporarily or permanently from the center.

"Everywhere I've ever been has homeless. That carries with it some issues," he said.

Asked if Fresh Start was providing too many services for the homeless and making it easy for them to stay that way, Martinson shook his head.

"That is a question I ask myself every day," he said. "Are we enabling those folks? That's a really good question and it gnaws at me."

Still, Martinson points out Fresh Start deals with a large number of people with mental illness or medical problems. And they need help from someone, somewhere. Fresh Start doesn't want to turn them away.

"I think it's important we not make a moral judgment on someone because they happen to have an affliction," he said.

So what does the future hold for Fresh Start? Will it move, stay put or eventually just close its doors?

Martinson couldn't say. But he knows what he hopes happens.

"I wish I had a crystal ball. We'd like to be here to service our clientele until we can't service them anymore."