A recent workshop between officials from nonprofit Olympic Community Action Programs and Jefferson County commissioners centered on advancing to the next stage of an open air shelter off of Mill Road in Port Townsend.

While the current scene is literally an emergency shelter, plans to install septic and provide infrastructure for a more stable temporary homeless encampment are projected to be underway by March 31.

Caswell-Brown Village, named in honor of two homeless people who succumbed to the elements, aims to house up to 50 people in 40 spaces for tents, RVs, or tiny homes to provide a homesite until folks can find more permanent housing.

“We do have an on-going waitlist,” said Cherish Cronmiller, executive director of OlyCAP. “Really, all the spots are filled.”

“Initially … it might just have to be tents,” Cronmiller said during the Jan. 3 meeting.

For more structural options, OlyCAP is considering collaborating with the Community Build project, which helped create wooden tents for two local transitional housing communities. But fundraising can’t begin until Phase 2 is completed.

Commissioner Greg Brotherton requested the special workshop around funding for Caswell-Brown Village. He advocated for spending $500,000 more of American Rescue Plan Act funding toward Phase 2, which would provide sewer infrastructure to the site. Phase 3 would see the installation of showers and a kitchen area.

“This is not, not cheap, work,” he said. “It’s going to cost more than a million dollars for the property and improvements that we originally slated.”

OlyCAP’s expenses to date for the shelter, which has been operating since late September, hovered around $250,000 at the end of the year, according to Kathy Morgan, the nonprofit’s housing and community development director.

According to documents provided by OlyCAP, major construction was the top cost, followed by employee wages.

The county promised a total of $1 million to the Mill Road project; currently, after adding in the purchase price of $602,000 for the property, county investment is around $852,000.

What does that investment look like for the 40 or so residents of the Caswell-Brown Village?

There is power to the site, but no running water, showers, or flush toilets. There is a common area tent that is heated with a wood stove. Bayside Housing & Services has been providing one meal per person per day, which averages $7,000 a month after paying the costs for meal transportation.

Cronmiller said that chef Arran Stark of Jefferson Healthcare will be able to provide meals for “considerably less” ($5,000, Cronmiller said), adding the food is of better quality.

Once Phase 2 is completed, she reminded commissioners, the meal service will be discontinued.

Some individuals are taking advantage of having space to cook outside of their living quarters already, she noted.

Critical to closing Cronmiller’s presentation was the explanation that the permanent temporary housing shelter will be situated on a parcel of land below the existing site.

Commissioners continued their discussion after the workshop ended, with a focus on funding.

“[This] is a very high value property,” mused Commissioner Kate Dean. “Is this the highest and best use?”

“There is a groundswell of funding for housing and affordable housing right now,” Brotherton said.

Dean probed a bit more, asking a question the county still hasn’t answered: “Who should be holding the title on this property?”

Regardless, Brotherton noted the site was still lacking in critical amenities.

“We can’t leave folks without flushing toilets and everything,” Brotherton said. “I think we should be willing to spend up to another $500,000 to get the infrastructure squared away.”

“Finishing the first permanent emergency shelter is something that I think we should commit to,” he added.

“Outdoor emergency shelter,” he corrected himself.

The commissioners went silent.

Dean broke the pause, agreeing that the amenities were “kinda basic human dignity stuff.”

The commissioners agreed to spend an additional $500,000 on the Caswell-Brown Village, and stated they would look into remaining federal relief funds.

A virtual meeting hosted by Brotherton about the open air shelter is scheduled for Thursday.