HomeMy WebLinkAbout10062026 CC Presentation Dignity BusThe Dignity Bus
Proposal to the City of Port Angeles
Additive, Not Substitutional
Sleep is a health, safety, and housing -
stability intervention.
Sleep problems associated with poorer
physical and mental health (Sheehan et
al., 2024; Simonelli et al., 2020).
Safety, weather exposure, noise, lack of
privacy, and fear of disruption are major
barriers to restorative sleep (Perra &
O'Brien, 2024; Tyler et al., 2024).
Sleep deprivation undermines decision-
making, emotional regulation, immune
function, treatment participation, and the
stamina to complete housing steps.
NAEH guidance: housing remains the
long-term solution, but communities also
need housing-focused interim access to
safer places to sleep (NAEH, 2024).
Single shelter solution is inefficient
A single shelter format cannot meet every
household's circumstances.
The Dignity Bus compliments existing shelter,
outreach, and housing navigation.
•adds beds where no alternative low-barrier
options exist
•does not shift resources away from current
providers.
A Proven Model, Not a Pilot
Advantages
A decommissioned motor coach is
retrofitted into twenty individual sleep
pods.
Includes an ADA lift, secure personal
storage, private water system, onboard
laundry, smart HVAC, staff workspace,
security systems, power, and Wi-Fi.
At full capacity, twenty pods deliver 7,300
bednights per year.
The Source team provides consultation,
operational planning, staff training, launch
support, written policies and procedures,
technical assistance during startup and
ongoing repairs.
Pioneered and replicated
Pioneered by The Source in Vero Beach,
Florida, the nation's first mobile homeless
shelter.
7 nationwide:
•Palm Bay & Orlando, FL;
•Woonsocket, RI;
•Kanakee County, IL;
•St. Croix, VI;
•Coming soon to California
OlyCAP would not be piloting an untested
concept.
Meeting Basic Needs Through
Local Partnership
Basic needs, met on site or by referral
24/7 restrooms: portable restroom and
handwashing station on site during
operating hours.
Laundry: onboard laundry machines for
linens included in the specified vehicle
configuration.
Secure storage: integrated into each pod,
with daytime storage.
24/7 security: staffed and monitored
throughout operating hours, with on-call
supervisory response overnight.
Current active partnerships
OlyCAP already partners with OPCC /
Rediscovery, Serenity House of Clallam County,
Peninsula Behavioral Health, and St. Andrew’s in
current programs serving people experiencing
homelessness through Sequim Warming Center,
Safe Parking and Homelessness to Housed
Intensive Case Management program
Partnerships under exploration
PA Hot Meals / Showers and St. Andrew’s are
being explored.
Staffing
Lived Expertise, Built In
Staffing levels
•Overnight Shelter Monitor (1 nightly,
~10-hour shift).
•Driver / Operations (3 hrs/day, CDL).
•Program Supervisor (0.15 FTE).
•Housing case management (in kind)
through existing programs provided by
OlyCAP and community partners
•Training: De-escalation training that is
currently delivered by OlyCAP the
Safe Parking program and Jefferson
County provider community. Naloxone
administration, first aid and CPR, and
trauma-informed practice are required
for all Dignity Bus staff.
People with lived experience build and
serviceThe Source buses.
OlyCAP elevates Lived Expert voices and
experience:
•Hiring, training, and advancing people with
lived experience into staff, supervisory, and
program and department management roles.
•Incorporates Lived Expert consultants in
every level of program development and
management including the shaping of
Coordinated Entry and shelter processes
compensated with stipends at a rate of $50
an hour.
While creating employment pathways this
ensures the program is shaped by people who
understand homelessness firsthand.
Clarifications and Open Items
Low-Barrier vs No-Barrier
Sobriety is not a requirement of participation. The
program is not abstinence based.
While drug and alcohol use would not be permitted
on-site, incidents of intoxication will be managed on a
case-by-case basis with deference to OlyCAP’s Duty
of Care to ensure the site is safe and conducive to
every participants’ ability to achieve uninterrupted
sleep. Incidents of acute intoxication will be assessed
for medical vulnerability and referred to higher levels
of care when necessary.
In all cases, safety will receive highest priority for
participants and neighbors.
•Quiet hours 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM
•documented site policing
•sharps containers
•loitering complaints answered within 24 hours
•named person on call
•written good-neighbor agreement.
Site and host
The proposal is not contingent on a single host.
OlyCAP can base the vehicle on OlyCAP-owned
property and deploy daily to serve Clallam County
guests.
Discussion with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church as
the preferred Port Angeles host is ongoing.
Viola Ware
Director of Housing Stability
(360)-460-2848
Vware@olycap,.org
Thank you