Overview
- The council authorized buying 419 Emancipation Ave. after two delays, with Council Member Edward Pollard casting the lone no vote and citing appraisal gaps of $10 million and $20 million versus the $16 million price.
- The facility is pitched as a centralized, low‑barrier "front door" connecting people to immediate safety, medical and behavioral care, and permanent housing, with the city targeting an early 2026 opening.
- Capacity figures remain unsettled, with officials variously citing room for about 150–225 people versus up to 320 at a time and an aim to move more than 1,000 people into housing each year.
- Operating costs are estimated at $10 million to $14 million annually, the purchase will be financed over 10 years, and federal disaster recovery funds are expected to cover much of the first three years of operations within a broader $168 million three‑year ramp‑up that includes $33 million already pledged from public and philanthropic sources.
- Neighborhood groups object to the rollout and location near homes and event venues, and the city says it will relocate and expand HPD’s Homeless Outreach Team to the site, add patrols, consider expanding the civility ordinance, stage capacity increases, and set up a community task force.