Update: City of The Dalles' public nuisance lawsuit against Saint Vincent de Paul dismissed

“While we acknowledge the seriousness of the nuisance activities that led to the lawsuit and their significant impact on the area, conditions have greatly improved, which benefits the entire neighborhood,” City Manager Matthew Klebes said in a release.

SVdP Board President Katheryn Gilligan told Columbia Gorge News that the Pentland location hasn’t had any problems since reopening May 2024.

“Members of St. Vincent de Paul are pleased that the city has dropped the complaint, and we look forward to focusing on our ministry and continuing to work toward the betterment of the community,” Gilligan said.

The lawsuit came September 2023 after the city received a series of complaints about individuals loitering and camping along the block where Pentland Street meets West Third Street.

City Attorney Jonathan Kara told Columbia Gorge News in 2024 that the city took action after receiving 1,300 emergency department calls within a 12 month period, and making 30 arrests within a month and a half related to incidents near this encampment.

“Pentland Street looked a bit like a war zone,” Kara said.

According to SVdP board member Ed Elliot, the day shelter offers the only free public access to showers in the city’s downtown.

On Jan. 3, 2024, SVdP closed their Pentland Street location temporarily, renovating their building with new paint, plumbing and adding a camera system.

Gilligan noted that with reopening, the location also changed their behavioral policy with new measures in place to clarify and enforce expectations.

“The neighbors are very happy with the way we have been running things since we reopened,” Gilligan said. “We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from them.”

Klebes said the city will keep watching.

“The city will continue to monitor activities surrounding SVDP to ensure past issues do not reoccur and further expects the city and SVDP to work cooperatively to address any future public safety concerns,” he said.

According to 2024 point-in-time data collected by the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council, 237 people in the Gorge region experienced homelessness.

• 32% self-identified as having a mental illness;
• 27% self-identified as having a substance abuse disorder; and
• 25% were children and youth under the age of 24.

While the Gorge saw an overall 16% decrease in homelessness, Wasco County’s numbers slightly increased year-over-year: from 160 in 2023 to 172 in 2024. The number of sheltered vs. unsheltered people in Wasco County improved year-over-year, with 50 more people sheltered compared to 2023.

Gilligan said anyone in the community, whether they are experiencing homelessness or not, is welcome to use their free shower and laundry facilities, and utilize vouchers for household items.

“We’re expanding our services in other directions that are not seen or taken care of by the city or the state or anything else, and that’s where we’re going to concentrate most of our energy,” said Gilligan.