05:46 PM PDT on Monday, June 12, 2006

By DEBORAH FELDMAN / KING 5 News

SEATTLE - Pramila Jayapal says she'd rather have a building on an undeveloped corner south of the Columbia City neighborhood than an overgrown lot.

KING

The facility would ultimately host people with histories of living in emergency shelters.

So when she learned of a proposal to turn the spot into a facility to house 60 mentally ill and chronically homeless people, she says she was thrilled.

"Columbia City really has a history of welcoming diversity of all sorts into our neighborhood and I think that for that reason I think, I hope that we as a neighborhood will be really welcoming to people who need homes," she said.

So Jayapal and about two dozen of her neighbors formed a group called "Rainier Home" to help smooth the way for the construction of a sister facility to this one, created by the nonprofit group Downtown Emergency Service Center or DESC.

The group plans to volunteer with the buildings' residents after they move in, teaching art classes and gardening.

"If they have enough people to help to watch it and take care of it and people volunteer to help it will be helpful. I hate to see people living on the street," said Carol Phillips.

The facility proposed for this location would ultimately host people with histories of living in emergency shelters. The agency says it will screen out people who have been convicted of violent felonies or sex offenses.

But not everyone is thrilled. Some residents worry it will damage the progress this community has made in recent years.

"This will be nothing but an attraction to bring the drugs, the violence, the gangs and whatever else into the neighborhood," said Jon Daykin.

Despite detractors, the executive director of DESC says a welcoming group for the homeless is new, and humbling experience.

"If we're going to end homelessness, it requires the development of housing and when we develop housing they have to be in some neighborhood. and its really heartening to see more and more people in Columbia City open up and very pridefully accept this project," said Bill Hobson.

There are still numerous hurdles to be jumped, but groundbreaking for the facility is scheduled to take place next fall.