Displaced residents of Clare's Place still believe in 'Housing First'

EVERETT — For Mindy, Clare’s Place was the best thing to happen to her. It was also the worst.

Mindy and her friend Shirley Belanger moved into Clare’s Place shortly after it opened in 2019. The 65-unit apartment complex at 6200 12th Drive SE in south Everett provides permanent supportive housing for those who have been homeless for at least a year. The nonprofit follows a “Housing First” model — sobriety is not required for entry.

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But about four years after finding what they thought to be permanent housing at Clare’s, they would be uprooted again. Not once, but twice.

In October, health authorities ordered more than 60 residents and staff to evacuate Clare’s Place after tests found fentanyl and methamphetamine contamination in 48 units as well as common spaces and offices. Tests revealed meth contamination levels nearly 2,670 times the state standard for decontamination. Although fentanyl was detected, the state has not determined what fentanyl level is safe for human exposure.

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/displaced-residents-of-clares-place-still-believe-in-housing-first/