Gary Leif Navigation Center Opens in Roseburg

This morning was the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony of the new Gary Leif Navigation Center in Roseburg! Carol Leif was on hand to accept a plaque honoring her late husband’s effort to fund the emergency shelter and navigation center. I got to tour the new building with Erica Kimrey who is the Program Manager from UCAN who will be operating the Navigation Center. The main building will eventually house 30 guests with places for storage, bathrooms, showers as well as a place to eat and store food. There will also be some spaces just for families. Construction and remodeling of the indoor area will last until the first quarter of 2023. Outside to the south of the main building is where 10 new living pods will be located. They are very nice and very well built. They have really nice insulation which keeps them quite cool even on hot days, but they also each have a small air conditioner and heater if the conditions necessitate their use. Each unit has four windows, a bed, storage shelves, electricity, lighting, lockable door and emergency exit. I was very impressed with the quality of these living pods. There is also a large shower and laundry trailer for the guests to use who are living in the outdoor pods. This is a significant step for the City of Roseburg and our ability to provide temporary shelter to those in our community who need it. The center will also provide ongoing assistance/guidance for those individuals to receive other services they may need, as well as eventually transition them into longterm housing. This was a great example of a local team effort including UCAN, City of Roseburg, Roseburg Police Department, Homeless Commission, Oregon State Representative, UHA, Adapt, Onward Roseburg, Peace at Home and Aviva Health. Great work everyone!