Posted on 05/06/2026 8:14:14 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie
PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — Since the city began contracting with Urban Alchemy — a large San Francisco-based nonprofit homeless service provider — in 2023, Portland's Ombudsman has received more than 80 complaints about the organization, mostly from guests. The most egregious complaints allege sexual harassment, drug use, drug dealing, theft and retaliation by staff.
Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office through a records request detail each of those allegations made by guests staying at a range of Urban Alchemy-run shelter sites across Portland. Some complaints also came from individuals claiming to be Urban Alchemy employees or former employees.
Through information obtained in the records request, KATU also received contact information for and interviewed some complainants who agreed to speak on camera. For this report, KATU also interviewed some Urban Alchemy guests who did not submit complaints through the ombudsman’s office. The issues those individuals described mirrored many of the complaints KATU obtained through records requests.
For context, Urban Alchemy is the city’s largest homeless service provider and operates roughly 700 of Portland’s 865 alternative shelter beds, located at village-style shelter sites typically made up of tiny homes or RVs.
Urban Alchemy is Portland's largest homeless service provider and operates roughly 700 of Portland’s 865 alternative shelter beds, located at village-style shelter sites typically made up of tiny homes or RVs. (KATU) Urban Alchemy is Portland's largest homeless service provider and operates roughly 700 of Portland’s 865 alternative shelter beds, located at village-style shelter sites typically made up of tiny homes or RVs. (KATU)
The nonprofit touts its second-chance model, which employs individuals who have previously been convicted of and served time for a crime.
In 2025, two Urban Alchemy employees in Portland were terminated after felony charges were filed against them for alleged violent crimes.
In November 2025, Kaesha Green was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for her alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of Mohamed Shaani in March 2022. The alleged crime would have occurred before Green began working with Urban Alchemy in May 2023.
Christopher Woods was terminated from Urban Alchemy in October 2025. He was arrested on burglary, harassment and trespassing charges in August 2025. Court documents allege he had been in a romantic relationship with a co-worker at Urban Alchemy and entered her home and allegedly assaulted her after she attempted to end the relationship. The harassment and trespassing charges were dismissed in a plea deal. He was convicted of first-degree burglary in November 2025 and received 36 months of probation. After his termination, Woods was arrested again in January 2026 for allegedly stabbing a man in a Safeway bathroom and now faces attempted murder charges.
At the time of those arrests, an Urban Alchemy spokesperson provided a written statement noting that it conducts background checks on all employees and follows Oregon’s “fair chance” laws, which require employers to consider the nature of the crime, time passed and job relevance before rejecting a candidate based on a criminal record.
“We hold our entire team to the highest possible standards, and when someone violates those standards, we immediately take the appropriate action,” the statement reads in part.
An Urban Alchemy spokesperson provided a written statement noting that it conducts background checks on all employees and follows Oregon’s “fair chance” laws, which require employers to consider the nature of the crime, time passed and job relevance before rejecting a candidate based on a criminal record. (KATU) An Urban Alchemy spokesperson provided a written statement noting that it conducts background checks on all employees and follows Oregon’s “fair chance” laws, which require employers to consider the nature of the crime, time passed and job relevance before rejecting a candidate based on a criminal record. (KATU)
Records show the ombudsman received a total of 85 complaints about Urban Alchemy staff from July 2023 through December 2025.
KATU also obtained complaints for the same period involving the city’s second- and third-largest homeless service providers, Sunstone Way and the Salvation Army. The Ombudsman received 15 complaints combined for those nonprofits, none of which contained allegations of sexual harassment, drug use, or theft by staff. However, Urban Alchemy serves a significantly larger portion of Portland’s shelter residents — between 700 and 800 individuals at any given time — compared with roughly 90 to 100 served by Sunstone Way and about 55 served by the Salvation Army.
Note: Sunstone Way has recently announced it will cease operations because of financial difficulties. The closure followed a lawsuit alleging financial mismanagement.
Records from the city of Portland indicate the city signed a contract for up to $50 million with Urban Alchemy in 2023, which expired in 2025. Last year, the city amended the contract, extending it to 2028 with a new limit of $40 million for a total of roughly $90 million in city taxpayer dollars.
Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office through a records request detail each of those allegations made by guests staying at a range of Urban Alchemy-run shelter sites across Portland. Some complaints also came from individuals claiming to be Urban Alchemy employees or former employees. (KATU) Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office through a records request detail each of those allegations made by guests staying at a range of Urban Alchemy-run shelter sites across Portland. Some complaints also came from individuals claiming to be Urban Alchemy employees or former employees. (KATU)
By comparison, Sunstone Way’s contract — which will terminate when it shuts down in June — is for up to $12.2 million. The Salvation Army’s contract is for up to $12 million and expires in June 2027.
While the ombudsman substantiated six of the 85 complaints, a large number — including all allegations of staff drug use, theft, sexual harassment, assault, and rude or aggressive language— were referred to Urban Alchemy’s internal grievance system. This is standard procedure, as the ombudsman investigation is considered a last-resort step when other processes do not exist or have been exhausted.
Of the 85 complaints:
Six were substantiated. Forty-two were referred back to Urban Alchemy’s grievance process. Many of the most serious complaints — including drug use, sexual harassment, and theft — fell into this category. It is unclear how Urban Alchemy resolved those internal grievances, as the non-profit declined to be interviewed and did not answer detailed questions. In 11 cases, the ombudsman could not proceed due to lost contact with the complainant. Ten cases were deemed indeterminate, meaning there was not enough information to reach a conclusion. The remainder were still in the processing queue when KATU obtained the records.
Since the city began contracting with Urban Alchemy — a large San Francisco-based nonprofit homeless service provider — in 2023, Portland's Ombudsman has received more than 80 complaints about the organization, mostly from guests. (KATU) Since the city began contracting with Urban Alchemy — a large San Francisco-based nonprofit homeless service provider — in 2023, Portland's Ombudsman has received more than 80 complaints about the organization, mostly from guests. (KATU)
What the Complaints Say
A data analysis conducted by KATU of all complaints pointed to the following themes:
Six different complainants alleged staff sexually harassed them or other guests. Six complainants alleged staff were selling drugs to, buying drugs from and/or using drugs with themselves and/or other shelter guests. Six complainants alleged they had witnessed staff physically assaulting other guests. One of those complainants alleged they had been the victim of a physical assault. Eight complainants alleged staff stole guests’ valuables. Half of those also said staff stole donations. Ten complainants said staff improperly disposed of guests’ belongings, including giving people’s things away to other guests or throwing them away. Thirteen complainants alleged staff were unprofessional, rude, used aggressive language and/or verbally threatened them. The largest number of complaints, 22, alleged Urban Alchemy staff unfairly kicked guests out of shelters. Note: Some individual complainants fit into multiple complaint categories. In some cases, on-the-record anonymous interviews KATU conducted with three of the 85 Ombudsman complainants resulted in an expansion of the complaint they originally filed with the Ombudsman and placed them into more than one category in the data analysis. The data analysis includes complaints made by one individual whom KATU interviewed on the record, who did not submit an ombudsman complaint.
One woman KATU interviewed on condition of anonymity agreed to talk on the record but did not want to be recorded. She said she had been sexually assaulted by an Urban Alchemy staff member who came into her pod while her husband was not on the premises. She said no charges were filed because she felt taking legal action would prompt retaliation and loss of her shelter bed.
Annette, an alias, agreed to be interviewed on camera anonymously with her voice altered because she still lives at the shelter and fears retaliation.
“He made comments about my pants, that he wanted to get into my pants because I had these purple jeans on,” Annette said.
Jonathan, also an alias, agreed to be interviewed on camera on condition of anonymity, saying he feared for his life if staff learned he spoke to the media. He said his girlfriend told him, after they had already left the shelter, that a staff member there had sexually assaulted her inside their pod while he was not on site.
“She was raped,” he said, tearing up as he mentioned it made him feel “powerless.” Jonathan said no police reports had been filed. KATU was not able to speak to Jonathan’s girlfriend about these accusations.
Jonathan, also an alias, agreed to be interviewed on camera on condition of anonymity, saying he feared for his life if staff learned he spoke to the media. He said his girlfriend told him, after they had already left the shelter, that a staff member there had sexually assaulted her inside their pod while he was not on site. (KATU) Jonathan, also an alias, agreed to be interviewed on camera on condition of anonymity, saying he feared for his life if staff learned he spoke to the media. He said his girlfriend told him, after they had already left the shelter, that a staff member there had sexually assaulted her inside their pod while he was not on site. (KATU)
One complaint filed with the ombudsman claimed that “Urban Alchemy transferred (to another shelter site) a convicted rapist who had sexually harassed the complainant.”
Another similar but separate complaint, allegedly filed by an employee, alleges a staff member was transferred to multiple different shelter locations after allegations of sexual harassment. The Complainant was referred to Urban Alchemy’s internal grievance process.
“Complainant reports that an Urban Alchemy employee who is a convicted sex offender harassed a woman at the Reedway site and was subsequently moved to Clinton Triangle and then North Portland Road. Complainant saw (the employee) about a month ago,” the ombudsman’s complaint summary reads. It goes on to note that the complainant alleges they were required to sign a nondisclosure agreement and that employees were told in training “not to talk to outsiders.”
One complaint filed with the ombudsman alleged a staff member was favoring a guest with whom they were allegedly having a sexual relationship.
“Staff has been ignoring my complaints about a neighboring resident who is threatening me verbally. I have since learned that this resident is sleeping with a staff member and likely receiving preferential treatment,” the complaint reads in part.
Another complaint alleges an “Urban Alchemy employee is engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with REDACTED, a guest.”
Both Annette and Jonathan, as well as a third individual KATU interviewed, who will be identified only by his first name, James, alleged that staff members provided drugs to, used drugs with, or obtained drugs from guests at shelter sites. The allegations were made both in the complaints they filed with the ombudsman and in what they later told KATU in more detail.
“They use a lot. They sell a lot. It’s a gold mine for them,” Jonathan said, claiming he had been approached by a staff member and asked to peddle drugs for that employee.
At a different shelter site, Annette said she was asked by multiple staff members to provide drugs to them.
“I have been approached by staff, and they gave me money and asked if I could help them find drugs, and I have had staff ask me if I had any drugs to sell,” she said, noting that she has also witnessed staff go into other guests’ pods to use drugs with them.
A former Urban Alchemy guest who KATU interviewed, who asked only to be referred to by his first name, Gary, said he was in the habit of cleaning the bathrooms before showering because he said they were otherwise unsanitary. He said he often witnessed staff plant drugs in the bathrooms.
“I saw them placing drugs and aluminum foil in the sink, and they (guests) would come up, and they would come and use drugs, and then they leave money in the sink,” Gary said.
A number of complaints, both from interviewees and those filed with the ombudsman’s office, allege staff steal or improperly dispose of guests’ belongings, many claiming this happens often after they are suddenly evicted from the shelter without notice. (KATU) A number of complaints, both from interviewees and those filed with the ombudsman’s office, allege staff steal or improperly dispose of guests’ belongings, many claiming this happens often after they are suddenly evicted from the shelter without notice. (KATU)
Other complaints filed with the ombudsman’s office by different guests made similar allegations.
“Complainant states that Urban Alchemy staff are using drugs and distributing them to the guests,” one complaint summary notes. Notes indicate the complainant in this case told ombudsman staff that they did not want to file a grievance with Urban Alchemy because they “did not want to tip Urban Alchemy off to the complaint so that they can hide things.”
One lengthy and detailed complaint from someone claiming to be a staff member and “whistleblower” points to drug use, among other concerns.
“My experience at Urban Alchemy was distressing and deeply troubling. Despite the organization’s public image of ‘love and light,’ the internal environment was dominated by bullying, intimidation and unethical practices — especially among management and leadership. The culture within the organization promotes ego, greed and exploitation rather than the empathy and integrity it advertises,” the complaint reads in part.
The complaint goes on to list the following verbatim allegations:
Workplace Misconduct and Abuse: Persistent bullying, belittling and retaliation from supervisors and upper management. Lack of empathy and respect toward employees, especially those experiencing personal hardship or housing insecurity. Unjust termination practices used to silence or remove employees who question unethical behavior. Substance Abuse and Criminal Activity: Widespread drug use among staff, including members of management. Employees openly selling and distributing narcotics during work shifts, with management’s full awareness. Tolerance and protection of employees engaged in these activities, fostering an unsafe and unlawful work environment. Exploitation of Unhoused and Vulnerable Individuals: Individuals experiencing homelessness were misled, mistreated and in some cases had personal property, including RVs and belongings, confiscated under false pretenses. Staff, including management, displayed a lack of genuine compassion and commitment to helping the community, despite claiming otherwise. The organization prioritizes image, funding and contracts over human dignity and real service. Most of the complaints alleging physical assaults were secondhand accounts of guests claiming they had personally witnessed another guest being physically assaulted by a staff member.
Gary said he was physically threatened and cornered by staff and asked to take the issue outside, but said he was not assaulted.
One written complaint to the ombudsman from a guest alleges they were physically assaulted.
“Staff disposed of complainant’s personal property without permission. While complainant tried to stop staff from disposing of complainant’s personal property, a staff member pushed a cart into complainant’s pelvic area,” the complaint summary reads.
A number of complaints, both from interviewees and those filed with the ombudsman’s office, allege staff steal or improperly dispose of guests’ belongings, many claiming this happens often after they are suddenly evicted from the shelter without notice.
Some complainants claimed the evictions, termed “exits” by the nonprofit, are often retaliatory.
“If a staff member brings in drugs and sells it to residents, if they don’t pay up, then they find reason to exit you,” Gary said.
He said he has also witnessed staff place donations like toilet paper or bulk food items in their personal cars.
“We witnessed them instead of telling someone that they have been kicked out or that they have been exited they just won’t let you back in when you leave,” Gary’s wife, Marie, added. “They don’t let you come get your stuff, they say ‘You have three days’ or what have you but they won’t let you back in to get it. If you have a camper, all of your camper, your belongings, your pets, everything, it’s just fair game for the staff or the residents that are in with the staff to go through, take what they want and then get towed out later on.”
Both Annette and Jonathan, as well as a third individual KATU interviewed, who will be identified only by his first name, James, alleged that staff members provided drugs to, used drugs with, or obtained drugs from guests at shelter sites. The allegations were made both in the complaints they filed with the ombudsman and in what they later told KATU in more detail. (KATU) Both Annette and Jonathan, as well as a third individual KATU interviewed, who will be identified only by his first name, James, alleged that staff members provided drugs to, used drugs with, or obtained drugs from guests at shelter sites. The allegations were made both in the complaints they filed with the ombudsman and in what they later told KATU in more detail. (KATU)
Both Annette and Jonathan, who live and lived respectively at different shelter sites run by Urban Alchemy, told similar stories.
“They (staff) were in the process of cleaning out someone’s pod and (another guest) came by and was like, ‘Oh, hey, is there anything good?’ You know, and the worker went, ‘Well, yeah, I mean there’s some things,’ and they let the person go through their stuff and take things,” Annette said.
“Sometimes you see some of the staff members there that actually have the (guests’) stuff, wearing the stuff, selling the stuff,” Jonathan said.
One written complaint from a different guest alleges that staff stole donations.
“Complainant has witnessed staff entering other guests’ pods without permission. Complainant states that staff have taken food from donations,” the complaint description reads.
The majority of the complaints are from guests alleging they were suddenly and unfairly evicted from shelters.
Though the ombudsman had been receiving complaints about unfair evictions before December 2025, when the city of Portland announced it would begin enforcing its 120-day engagement policy at alternative shelter sites, those types of complaints ramped up.
After investigating some of those complaints, the ombudsman found Urban Alchemy was not properly documenting evictions and recommended the city pause its 120-day evictions at Urban Alchemy sites.
The city did so for a few weeks before resuming evictions after it claimed to have found Urban Alchemy was following protocols correctly. The ombudsman is set to review the city’s findings in the coming weeks.
Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office show the office ended up referring one Urban Alchemy guest to a free legal service for potential litigation after the ombudsman found the guest had been accused of multiple violations with no documentation of those violations and evicted as a result.
“(Redacted) was exited for allegedly using and selling drugs about two weeks ago. When I inquired about documentation, Urban Alchemy provided me with a summary that included an additional allegation of theft and also said she was subject to exiting based on the City’s new 120-day rule, which limits stays in tiny-home villages unless the guest is making progress toward housing, employment, substance abuse and other goals. When I asked to see actual documentation, they dropped the theft allegation and provided more summary information. I am still trying to obtain the documentation,” the ombudsman staffer wrote in an email to the lawyer they were referring the case to. “(Redacted) was exited last week for violating the 72-hour rule, which prohibits more than three nights’ absence. She claims this is false and provided me with a list of about half a dozen witnesses who she said support her claim that she was not absent. She also claims that she had valuable electronics and a safe with more than $3,000 that were not returned to her.”
Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office through a records request detail each of those allegations made by guests staying at a range of Urban Alchemy-run shelter sites across Portland. Some complaints also came from individuals claiming to be Urban Alchemy employees or former employees. Documents obtained from the ombudsman’s office through a records request detail each of those allegations made by guests staying at a range of Urban Alchemy-run shelter sites across Portland. Some complaints also came from individuals claiming to be Urban Alchemy employees or former employees.
Annette, Jonathan, Gary and Marie all said the experience with some of Urban Alchemy’s staff has been detrimental to their progress in trying to transition out of homelessness.
Gary and Marie, who both work full-time and have left the Urban Alchemy shelter site, are now moving their RV around the city to avoid being towed.
Annette still lives in one of the nonprofit’s shelters and says the experience has created trust issues with institutions that claim to want to help.
Jonathan says he served time before coming to live at an Urban Alchemy site with high hopes of staying clean, sober and on the right path toward housing and a crime-free lifestyle. Instead, he says he was roped back into selling narcotics for staff.
“It gets worse and worse as time goes on. They become more aggressive and take on the role of guards in prison rather than ex-cons getting out, trying to make a better life,” he said of some staff members.
All four said they also had encountered some Urban Alchemy staff who did not engage in those behaviors and genuinely wanted to help.
Urban Alchemy holds significant contracts with other cities, including San Francisco, where it is based, Austin and Denver. A 2024 lawsuit filed by a shelter guest in Sausalito alleges that staff at the shelter physically assaulted him in retaliation for him speaking negatively about the nonprofit to the media. The lawsuit also alleges that staff at the shelter used drugs, distributed drugs and engaged in unethical sexual relationships with guests.
Though the ombudsman had been receiving complaints about unfair evictions before December 2025, when the city of Portland announced it would begin enforcing its 120-day engagement policy at alternative shelter sites, those types of complaints ramped up. (KATU) Though the ombudsman had been receiving complaints about unfair evictions before December 2025, when the city of Portland announced it would begin enforcing its 120-day engagement policy at alternative shelter sites, those types of complaints ramped up. (KATU)
A local news outlet reported that the lawsuit was dismissed by the court due to lack of evidence in February.
Documents obtained through a records request filed with the city of San Francisco show that from June 2025 to December 2025, the city received two complaints about shelter staff.
Note: San Francisco does not have a general ombudsman the way Portland does. It has two specialized ombudsman offices, one for city employees and one for long-term care issues. The city’s shelter monitoring committee receives and investigates complaints about shelters.
One complaint alleged staff were rude, unprofessional and yelled at the complainant. Another complaint alleged the complainant was unfairly evicted from the shelter. The city investigated the second complaint and found that Urban Alchemy had, in fact, unfairly evicted the guest in question. During the investigation, the city also anonymously surveyed 19 guests at the site about Urban Alchemy staff.
When asked if Urban Alchemy staff treated them with respect:
11 guests said yes 4 guests said staff were disrespectful 4 shared mixed opinions, stating that some staff were respectful while others were not When asked if they felt staff discriminated based on age, disability, gender, race, nationality, sexual orientation, transgender status or religion:
11 said staff were nondiscriminatory 6 said staff were discriminatory 2 shared mixed opinions, stating that some staff were discriminatory while others were not When asked, “Do you feel safe at the shelter? Do staff respond appropriately to safety/behavioral issues?”
13 guests said they felt safe 3 said they felt unsafe 2 shared mixed opinions, stating that some felt safe while others did not When asked if they had ever witnessed or overheard staff speaking negatively about guests:
5 guests said no 12 guests said staff were heard speaking negatively 2 guests shared mixed opinions, stating that some staff did this while others did not When asked if they had ever seen a guest being unfairly kicked out of the shelter:
8 guests said they had not 10 said they had 1 resident refused to answer Some guests provided anonymous feedback in the survey. That included the following comments listed in the documents obtained from the city of San Francisco:
“They like to wait for a resident to leave and then not let them back in until they clean out the resident’s cabin.”
“They chose to play favorites and enforce certain rules for some but never for others.”
“The staff pick and choose who they like and those rules are enforced this way.”
“A lot of shit talk about clients.”
Urban Alchemy and the City of Portland’s Response to Allegations
Over the course of the months-long investigative process, KATU has on multiple occasions offered the city’s Shelter Services Office, the mayor’s office and Urban Alchemy the opportunity to be interviewed about these issues.
KATU has also offered to delay publishing this article and on-air piece in order to accommodate any interview scheduling difficulties. All three parties declined to be interviewed about this topic, with the mayor’s office deferring to Shelter Services.
Jess Montejano, a spokesperson for Urban Alchemy, offered to respond to written questions via email. After KATU sent a list of 22 specific questions, Montejano declined to answer them and instead responded with a prepared statement that did not address the issues specifically.
Laura Rude, a spokesperson for City Shelter Service, also offered to answer questions via email, but the statement she provided in response to KATU’s list of questions only addressed a handful of them. When asked whether she would be responding to the remainder of the questions, Rude noted she would stick with the already provided statement.
Both Montejano’s and Rude’s statements are pasted in full below. At the bottom of this article, you will find the list of questions KATU addressed to both of them.
After this article was published at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, City Councilor Mitch Green brought up the report during a public meeting, asking the city administrator to look into the report and make sure the city is properly investigating the claims.
"We are about to be asked to make budget decisions to renew this (homeless services contracts) pot of money, I really need to know that we are doing the proper oversight on this contract. I just read this news literally an hour ago. I'm sure you all are still trying to grok (to understand, wrap your head around) it as well. I needed to raise that because that is a serious concern for me," Green said.
City Administrator Raymond Lee responded that he would look into it.
Urban Alchemy full statement:
"Urban Alchemy has helped thousands of guests lead healthier, more stable lives and connected more than 500 people to permanent housing since beginning operations in Portland.
We’ve employed hundreds of local residents, who are primarily people of color and face the most extreme barriers to employment, providing them a second chance, a real career pathway, and an opportunity to serve their community.
In three years of serving Portland’s most vulnerable, Urban Alchemy manages and operates one of the largest shelter bed portfolios of any provider. The City of Portland’s continued investment, partnership and expansion with Urban Alchemy speak volumes about the efficacy and impact of our models and work.
The safety and well-being of our guests is our top priority. We take any allegation, complaint or concern seriously and actively and thoroughly investigate every single one. We are clear with our team about our procedures and standards and are the first to take appropriate action if anyone falls short of what is expected of them.
But let’s be clear. We serve the highest acuity guests in the city — people suffering from severe addiction, behavioral and mental health issues — and we always treat them with compassion and respect. We understand that these issues often contribute to unsubstantiated allegations or complaints that frequently lack evidence or merit. But we still take each allegation, complaint or concern seriously because we are professionals and care deeply about our work, our team and the people we serve.
There are multiple avenues and resources for our guests to pursue outside of our grievance process. We actively encourage any of our guests to pursue those avenues and resources at any time because we are transparent and hold ourselves accountable to our work.
To date, we have not been provided a single piece of evidence to back up the most serious allegations being levied against us. Just because someone makes an allegation or complaint does not automatically make it true.
While it is frustrating, we are unfortunately used to baseless attacks because of who we are, what we look like and our lived experiences.
We will keep showing up to do our jobs to serve the most vulnerable members of our community and we will continue making a positive impact. But we deserve better, our guests deserve better and the people of Portland deserve better than this poorly executed piece of pseudo-journalism that we view as a targeted attempt to discredit our reputation and work.”
Shelter Services full statement:
“The City of Portland takes all complaints and concerns regarding its services seriously. In support of this commitment, the city’s Shelter Services team works in close coordination with both Urban Alchemy staff and the city’s Ombudsman’s Office to thoroughly review and investigate any concerns raised by shelter participants. The Ombudsman’s investigative process, supported by Shelter Services staff, is comprehensive and methodical. The city has full confidence in the rigor and integrity of this process to ensure that complaints are addressed appropriately and resolved in a timely manner. Additionally, Shelter Services staff regularly meet with Urban Alchemy leadership to discuss policies and review Urban Alchemy’s internal responses to reported grievances.
Since 2023, only six complaints involving Urban Alchemy have been substantiated by the Ombudsman’s Office. The city recognizes that individuals experiencing homelessness often face complex mental and behavioral health challenges, which may contribute to a higher number of unsubstantiated complaints. Given the vulnerability of this population, every complaint is taken seriously and reviewed with due diligence. Investigations conducted by both the Ombudsman’s Office and the Shelter Services team may include on-site interviews, thorough records reviews and third-party inspections to ensure a thorough, fair and impartial process.”
Questions sent to Montejano by KATU:
Six different UA guests allege your staff is selling and/or using drugs at shelter sites. Have you received any complaints alleging drug use by staff? If yes, how did you investigate it? How does your grievance/policy process handle complaints like this? Have any staff members ever been disciplined for drug use? I do not need names, just yes or no. Have any staff members ever been charged with a drug-related crime while working for UA? If yes, how many? Are your staff members ever randomly drug tested? If not, why not? You employ people with past drug use. Would it not be prudent to drug test? What does your employment contract/employee handbook say about use of narcotics on the job? Six different UA guests allege they have either witnessed others be victims of or have themselves been victims of sexual harassment by staff. Have you received any complaints about this, and if so, how did you investigate those? How does or would your grievance process handle complaints like that? Has a staff member ever been disciplined for sexual harassment? Again, I do not need names. Have any staff members ever been convicted of a sex crime while working for UA? If so, how many? Do you hire people who have previously been convicted of sex crimes? If yes, are there any limits or protections in place to monitor these individuals? Montejano provided a limited response to this question, saying some sex crimes would prohibit employment with Urban Alchemy. When asked which ones would not, he did not respond. Six guests allege they have witnessed staff physically assaulting guests; one of those said they themselves were physically assaulted. Have you received complaints of this nature, and if so, how were they investigated? Have any staff members ever been disciplined for physical assaults on guests or other staff members? If so, how many? Has a staff member ever been charged with assault or other violent crimes while working for UA? If so, how many staff members? Eight guests allege staff stole their valuables. Half of those alleged staff also stole donations. Have you received any complaints about this, and if so, how did you investigate? Have staff ever been disciplined for theft from guests or theft of donations? If so, how many staff members? What processes and procedures do you have to prevent theft? What regulations are in place to protect guests’ valuables? Ten guests claimed staff improperly disposed of their belongings and/or allowed other guests to take their stuff or threw their stuff away. Have you received complaints about this? If so, how did you investigate? Have staff ever been disciplined for improperly disposing of guests’ belongings, and if yes, on how many occasions? What is your policy on how to handle guests’ belongings who have been exited? How are they able to retrieve items once they have been locked out after an exit? Twenty-two guests complained that staff had unfairly exited them, some claiming retaliation. Have you received similar complaints? If so, how did you investigate? Have staff ever been disciplined or received extra training as a result of unfair exits? If yes, on how many occasions? The ombudsman says your grievance process is the first step to appeal an exit. How many appeals have you received for unfair exits? Have any resulted in reversing an exit?
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This is a massively long expose. At least someone is doing the reporting.
There is more at the source that doesn’t format well.
This is the live article with all original language, some of which we usually don’t allow here. I hope the Admin Mods can see that the common public discourse in a major media outlet are using this language, not me, and that the whole article including the original language can stand.
Apologies for the translation of the formatting from the original which is difficult to manage working from a phone browser. Feel free to go to the original article for better formatting.
This is serious stuff up here in the PNW. We are overrun with homeless, who are attracted to the vastly funded homeless industrial complex.
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