People sleep in bushes and urinate behind buildings. They panhandle in parking lots and intimidate customers.
In Kent, business owners say, homeless people are a problem. But at a recent forum, most said opening a homeless shelter in downtown is not the solution.
"Fear of people who are homeless -- it exists. We're not going to change it," said Sandra Robb, who runs a tax and accounting business in downtown Kent. "Find a place not inside our city and not in somebody's neighborhood, either."
Seattle's Union Gospel Mission has proposed operating and funding South King County's first dedicated, year-round shelter at 315 E. Meeker St., in a former resource center owned by the city's parks and recreation department at the edge of downtown. Union Gospel Mission would operate the shelter in partnership with KentHOPE (Kent Homelessness Partnership Effort).
A recent overnight count found 104 homeless people in Kent, the third highest number counted in the area. More troubling was that this year's count revealed a greater percentage of people on the streets, as opposed to in safer places such as cars. Volunteers counted 16 people sleeping in bushes or undergrowth, for example, and 19 people under roadways.
In the Kent School District, 331 children identified themselves as homeless.
At the March 14 standing-room-only forum, hosted by the Kent Chamber of Commerce and the Kent Downtown Association, many said a shelter would draw homeless people from around the region, and their presence would drive away shoppers and dissuade businesses from opening Kent locations.
John Hinds, general manager of Kent Station, an outdoor shopping center modeled in part on Seattle's University Village, said a homeless shelter could undo economic development efforts of city and business leaders. Existing Kent Station tenants might leave and new ones would be reluctant to come, he said.
Resident Gary Johnson said Kent Station was the city's "game-changer" and reminded the audience that Moody's had recently downgraded the city's credit rating.
Alex Dittmarr, who owns Airways Brewing, said Kent can't afford to risk losing small businesses like his, which he noted, help pay for social services offered by the city.
"If we fail," he warned, "there's no more sales tax."
Dittmar and other business owners said any shelter should be held to "performance standards" that could be reviewed by local business owners.
Several business owners said they know of homeless people who refuse to work and prefer living outdoors and predicted that more would come to Kent in search of "freebies," while declining help getting off the street.
Some said the shelter was the right idea, in the wrong location. Instead of a shelter, salon owner Wade Schwartz said Union Gospel Mission should start an educational program at Panther Lake School.
But a few said a downtown shelter was an appropriate way to address a dramatic need. One woman noted that no location will ever be suitable to some, and that nothing would be gained by delaying action.
Michael Manderville, owner of Caring Hands Transportation, said he's seen his former classmates and neighbors sleeping on the city's streets.
"I want to do business in a city that cares for the most vulnerable," he said, noting that Kent is now the state's sixth-largest city.
"Maybe it's time we started acting like a big city," he said, "and take care of the homeless, like we should."
Jeff Watling, the city's parks director, said Kent is now in the scoping phase, and will be holding focus groups this month that will help shape a call for proposals expected to be released in April. A committee evaluating the proposals would make their recommendation to the Parks Committee at their June 21 meeting.