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Opening a homeless shelter takes extensive planning, community outreach, and support. If the City decides to pursue this option, it will need to develop a detailed operations plan in addition to policies, procedures, and guidelines for its staff, volunteers, visitors, and residents. This plan should include the populations it is intended to serve, the length of stay, and services offered. Vanir included some suggestions for policies and procedures throughout this report, but our main focus here is on the modifications needed to convert the Jail into a general use homeless shelter. While not specifically called out in each section, all modifications must meet current building code and ADA guidelines in addition to compliance with any state and local laws regarding the operation of a homeless shelter. Because this reuse option is a change from the custody model, codes of the day pertaining to the new use would be enforced. A shelter is often a newly homeless person's first contact with an organized societal response to their situation, making it an important first impression regarding outreach and support. Physical facility design plays a crucial role in any person's acceptance or rejection of this help. It's important to remember that the typical shelter resident is experiencing a crisis resulting in a change of lifestyle and the loss of familiar surroundings. This can cause a drastic change in their world view, also impacting their priorities and needs. Tips for Shelter Design Offered by Homeless Persons and Shelter Staff 9 • Waiting in line can be essential to secure scarce services. Visitors and residents may feel it is worth fighting for one's place. Offer a way to keep one's place in line that does not necessarily require physically standing in it. • Many homeless individuals are sensitive to seating locations that expose their backs and places that prompt feelings of vulnerability if they have a history of abuse or have been attacked. Strategically orient seating so users are facing out from walls. Carefully consider providing 'retreat' spaces as spatial volumes may be overwhelming. • Homelessness results in fragile personal identity. Using name tags instead of numbers to assign temporary ownership to beds or living spaces can help preserve a sense of self and individuality. • One of the largest mental challenges of homelessness is boredom as individuals are often out of sync with the schedule of work and family. Idleness can exacerbate feelings of worthlessness and disconnection so consider providing reading materials, newspapers, and gatherings or games as appropriate. • Balconies can be an aesthetic addition to a building, but they may also invite suicide attempts. These should be used with caution. • Provide separate restrooms for staff to shield them from getting lice or scabies, and increase their length of service. • Bedbugs can burrow into the wood grain and become impossible to eradicate so sleeping furniture should not be constructed of wood. • Some facilities are cleaned three times a day to prevent infestations and the spread of disease as hygiene is paramount. Furnishings, finishes, and equipment (FF&E) must meet these durability and rigorous demands of 24/7 use. As with any facility, safety is an important factor, especially in a homeless shelter due to its unique population. Like all individuals, visitors and residents want to feel safe with a sense of security while within the facility. To ensure the safety of visitors, residents, and staff, each person should be properly checked and searched for 101 65A-108