Salem, OR — On Wednesday, August 14, the Marion County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement with Union Gospel Mission Salem for $1.4 million in HOME Investment Partnership – American Rescue Plan (HOME-ARP) funds for the Simonka Place Renovation Project. Simonka Place is a facility that cares for women and children experiencing homelessness.
“I’m grateful to be a part of a community, where taking care of the kids in our community is who we are,” said Commissioner Colm Willis. “I’m also grateful for UGM and the integrity with which you conduct yourselves.”
Opened in 1968, Simonka Place has served as a beacon of hope for women in need in Marion and Polk Counties. It was the first of its kind on the West Coast. Since its establishment, Simonka Place has remained dedicated to the care of women and children.
Union Gospel Mission (UGM) Executive Director Dan Clem gifted a live plant to the county as a symbol of the life and growth to come from the project.
“This symbolizes growth, and it symbolizes our gratitude for the wonderful work staff has done,” said Clem. “But it comes with a responsibility.”
The county will care for the plant until the completion of the Simonka Place Renovation Project, at which point it will be planted outside the updated facility as a symbol of the partnership between UGM and Marion County.
In the last 11 months, 149 women have found permanent, stable, safe housing, according to Kathy Smith, UGM’s Director of Women’s Ministries. In addition to that, 42 children are now waking up in their own homes, in their own beds.
“Next month school starts, and these children will be getting on the school bus not in front of a homeless shelter, but in front of their own homes,” said Smith.
“That’s 191 lives in one year that have found permanent housing,” said Commissioner Kevin Cameron, Chair. “I think that’s the critical thing, and I’m thankful for all the work you’ve done on this.”
The funding from Marion County will accomplish two primary purposes. The first is to remodel the interior space to enable Simonka Place to meet the needs of an increasing population of women with children and address the needs of women experiencing a mental health crisis who need their own space for initial recovery. Updated rooms will accommodate larger families of up to eight, with each room having its own private bathroom. Additional features will be added to the facility to address some of the physical challenges of older women, including handrails, modifications to better accommodate mobility devices, and ramps in place of stairs.
The second purpose for the funding is to address the overall condition of the Simonka Place building, which is over sixty years old. These updates will include the roof, HVAC, lighting, floor-coverings, siding, and windows. Improvements are needed to maintain the safe and efficient function of the facility and enable it to continue providing services to the community.
“I totally believe this is going to have generational impacts,” said Commissioner Danielle Bethell. “Youth is a blip, but what kids remember from it is usually how they’re going to live their lives. And because they’ve been able to stay in a place that has really loved them up, and it was warm, and safe, and they were able to see their mom sleep—it’s going to make a bigger difference than I think anyone really understands.”
Construction is anticipated to be complete in October of 2025.
