My name is Angelo Mante. I serve as an appointed pastor at First Wayne Street United Methodist Church and as Executive Director of Alive Community Outreach, the nonprofit that occupies the church’s south wing. I am writing in support of the proposed 24\/7, low-barrier homeless resource center at 333 E. Washington Boulevard. Our building sits directly north of that property. We share an alley with it.<\/p>\n
A lot of voices are weighing in on this proposal, and rightly so. Pastor Jason Morris has offered a strong theological case on behalf of First Wayne Street, and I stand with every word. Our neighbors in business have raised real concerns about foot traffic, revenue, and the future of downtown commerce. I take those concerns seriously. As someone running an organization on this block, I share the hope behind them: a downtown that is safe, welcoming, and full of life.<\/p>\n
I want to speak from where I sit. Alive Community Outreach is a youth-serving nonprofit with twelve staff and a thirteenth on the way. In a few weeks, our sixth Peacemaker Academy will bring more than seventy high school students in and out of our doors every day for three weeks. Year-round, we serve youth, survivors of violence, and learners from teenagers to elders. We manage budgets, payroll, programming, and a building full of people we are responsible for every single day.<\/p>\n
We chose this location intentionally. We wanted to be downtown, at the heart of the community we serve, and we have a long-term commitment to this district. That commitment is exactly why I want to speak plainly about what we have witnessed.<\/p>\n
For six years, we have witnessed up close what is happening on the streets around us. People have set up camp behind our bushes. We have literally had to step over people sleeping in our doorway to get into our own building. Just the other day, I took water outside to a man coughing so hard it sounded like he was dying. This is not a rare moment. There is constant need all around us. Our staff have also witnessed conflicts and drug use outside our windows, and some encounters have left our team and the people we serve shaken. These are not stories about dangerous people. They are stories about human beings in crisis, without shelter, without support, in plain view of a city that has not yet built what they need.<\/p>\n
That is the real safety issue. The Rescue Mission does important work, but no single organization can meet every kind of need \u2014 and the neighbors who fall outside what the Mission can offer will continue to land on the blocks around it, including ours, regardless of where a new resource center is located.<\/p>\n
A 24\/7, low-barrier facility with structured supervision and real coordination with community partners gives our unhoused neighbors somewhere to actually go. Somewhere staffed around the clock. Somewhere that can connect a person in crisis to the right services at the moment they are ready to receive them. That is not a threat to this block. That is what good public safety looks like \u2014 addressing a problem directly rather than pushing it down the street.<\/p>\n
Make no mistake: if I believed this resource center would make our block less safe, I would be the first one opposing it. As it stands, I believe it will turn an unmanaged situation into a coordinated one, and that is good for everyone \u2014 for the people the center will serve, for our staff, for our business neighbors, and for the future of downtown.<\/p>\n
We are for this. And we are ready to work with the city, with the Rescue Mission, with our business neighbors, and with everyone on this block to make sure it is implemented well. Done right, a resource center strengthens the entire district \u2014 including the businesses and institutions that have invested in it.<\/p>\n
A bottle of water was the best I had to offer the man in our alley that morning. I would love for our block to offer the next person more than that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Barrett Realty<\/strong> [Webmaster’s note: Barrett Realty is the developer behind The Lofts at Headwaters Park, The Riverfront at Promenade Park and The Eddy.]<\/p>\nWe would like to recognize Ft. Wayne\u2019s initiative to address the increasing homelessness challenges impacting the Downtown area. Hundreds of municipalities across the Country are struggling with this complex and multifaceted issue. It will require careful consideration and strategic planning to balance the many and sometimes competing priorities over the coming years. We look forward to seeing the City\u2019s progress in dealing with this issue while maintaining the forward momentum toward a vibrant and exciting downtown area for all the people of Ft. Wayne.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Elevatus Architecture<\/strong><\/p>\nHomelessness is one of the most visible and complex challenges facing communities across the country, including Fort Wayne. Elevatus is proud to partner with the City of Fort Wayne to help address this challenge through the thoughtful design of a low-barrier shelter that prioritizes safety, dignity, access to services, and pathways toward stability. Our team brings deep expertise in behavioral health, wellness, and secure environments, and we are applying that experience to create a facility that is safe, welcoming, and supportive for clients, staff, neighbors, and the broader community. We believe strong communities address complex challenges with compassion, accountability, and smart design, and that this project represents an important investment in both human dignity and the long-term health of our city.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
First Wayne Street United Methodist Church, Jason Morris, lead pastor<\/strong><\/p>\nThis is a defining moment for Fort Wayne and we need to be honest about what\u2019s at stake.<\/p>\n
Right now, people in our community are suffering in plain sight. They are sleeping outside, being turned away from shelters, cycling through systems that were never designed to truly help them and too often, we\u2019ve learned to look the other way. That is not just unfortunate. It is unacceptable.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be clear: the real crisis is not this facility. The real crisis is our willingness to tolerate human beings living and dying without dignity.<\/p>\n
A 24\/7, low-barrier resource center is not some extreme idea. It is the bare minimum of what compassion requires. If we find ourselves more concerned about inconvenience than we are about human life, then we have lost our moral compass.<\/p>\n
As a church, we reject the idea that faith means staying comfortable while others suffer. That is not the way of Jesus. We are called to show up, to stand with those on the margins, and to build a community where no one is disposable.<\/p>\n
So yes, there are concerns, but there is also a deeper question: who are we going to be?<\/p>\n
This is our moment to choose courage over fear, compassion over apathy, and dignity over neglect. And we should not hesitate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fletcher Van Gilder Attorneys LLP<\/strong><\/p>\nThe law firm Fletcher Van Gilder LLP has been a proud building owner and business presence at 436 E Wayne Street since 2006. We support the City’s plan to purchase and renovate the building on the north side of Washington Blvd bounded by Lafayette and Barr Streets as a no-barrier facility to provide services to people who are temporarily without shelter. We believe such a facility, together with the 24\/7 outreach and wraparound services, should be a welcome addition to downtown Fort Wayne. Together with other close-by social service organizations, the facility will be able to expand the good work that Downtown Fort Wayne has been doing to assist persons who are in need, and to support a healthy business environment. We applaud the City’s focus on this compassionate and practical work to improve Fort Wayne for all its residents.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Fort Wayne Police Department, Chief P.J. Smith<\/strong><\/p>\nPublic safety is vital to the well-being of our great community. The Fort Wayne Police Department stands ready to assist and be a partner in the efforts to bring a homeless resource center to downtown. We currently work with many homeless individuals on a daily basis and will continue to do so to help get them connected to needed services like the new center will provide. We believe this plan will improve the homelessness situation. We live in a safe city. Our officers work tirelessly each day to serve and protect, and residents and businesses can be assured that their safety is our top priority.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Model Group LLC<\/strong> [Webmaster’s note<\/em><\/strong>: The Model Group is the developer behind The Landing.]<\/p>\nThe Model Group believes in finding lasting solutions for the city’s most vulnerable residents and are supportive of the City’s efforts to do so. We look forward to learning more about the plans for the Homeless Resource Center and how they can be implemented in a way that serves all stakeholders in downtown Fort Wayne.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Penny Drip<\/strong><\/p>\nWe regularly interact with people who are experiencing homelessness, but we have no good options for places they can seek shelter and services. We are happy to learn about the proposed low-barrier shelter and look forward to working with the operator to make it successful.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Surack Enterprises, Chuck Surack<\/strong><\/p>\nSurack Enterprises is honored to be part of the revitalization of downtown Fort Wayne and our entire community for that matter. The investments we\u2019ve made and will be making in the future highlight our belief in all that Fort Wayne is and can become.<\/p>\n
With that said, Lisa and I also recognize that some individuals and families are experiencing challenging and difficult circumstances that need to be addressed in a thoughtful and caring manner. That\u2019s why we fully support Mayor Sharon Tucker\u2019s efforts to bring a homeless resource center to the heart of the community. The center will assist in efforts to bring stability and hope back to people who are suffering.<\/p>\n
For our city to reach its full potential, it takes leadership and a willingness to make tough decisions for the betterment of the entire community. Lisa and I are committed to making a financial contribution toward the Homeless Resource Center plan that will help ensure this important endeavor gets across the finish line. We\u2019re pleased and encouraged to see so many members of the public and several social service and nonprofit organizations come together to say this center is needed in Fort Wayne and want to be part of the solution.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
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