What to know about the debate on Fort Wayne's homeless resource center

Hey Locals,

Not to be outdone by the county, City Council hosted its own marathon meeting this week, lasting nearly four hours. More than two hours were dedicated to public comments – most of which concerned the city’s proposed homeless services center, known as Anchor Resource Center. 

Today, we’ve done our best to provide you with a brief overview of what locals are saying about the project, what exactly the city’s proposal entails, and what else you might want to know before the proposal comes before council this Tuesday, June 9 – this time for a vote.

To develop this report, we reviewed recent news coverage and spoke with council members Russ Jehl (R-2) and Geoff Paddock (D-5), as well as the city’s Manager of Homeless Services, Amanda Fall. Greater Fort Wayne Inc. did not respond to our request for comment, and Downtown Fort Wayne said it intends to speak at the June 9 council meeting.

Now, let’s dive in:

What are locals saying about the resource center?

• More than 70 people spoke during public comment on Tuesday, and a majority supported the center and its proposed location Downtown. Paddock counted about 85 commenters – 60 in favor and 25 opposed. Those opposed were largely representing the nearby St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School as the Safe Schools Fort Wayne Alliance, or nearby Downtown businesses.
• The center’s proposed location was the main sticking point among those who opposed it. Most people who spoke against the center said they supported the need for a low-barrier center in Fort Wayne; however, they wanted it to be moved to a different location rather than concentrating services for homeless individuals in one part of Downtown and near a school. Many cited the potential for sex offenders to reside within the 1,000-foot radius of St. Paul’s as a major concern.
• Downtown business owners and investors appear split on the matter. Some business owners shared concerns at the mic on Tuesday that the center would increase existing challenges with homelessness for their employees, customers and bottom lines. Others said the location is actually the optimal option for addressing these exact challenges. Notably, James Khan, president of ObiCai, which operates Proximo and The Hoppy Gnome Downtown, shared his support for the center and its location in a letter to WANE 15. Investor Chuck Surack and his team also expressed support and plans to help fund the proposed resource center. 
• There’s still a lot we don’t know. A few people who spoke at council brought up points that haven’t yet been addressed (to our knowledge), asking council to pause the project until the city shares a detailed operational plan and budget. Many residents noted that the city has stated the center’s annual operating budget will be $1.2M – less than half the estimated annual operating budget for a similar facility in Indianapolis. It is unclear why this discrepancy exists and how accurate the Fort Wayne budget estimate is.