Snow and freezing temperatures this week mean that being homeless on Whidbey is more difficult than ever. Potentially even dangerous.

Unfortunately, there is no shelter from the storm for homeless people on North Whidbey.

A group of concerned citizens, congregations and community leaders are hoping to change that by opening an overnight shelter for homeless in the Oak Harbor area.

A “community conversation on homeless” is planned Thursday, Dec. 15 at the Oak Harbor United Methodist Church on Southeast Ireland Street. Soup is at 12:30 p.m. and the forum starts at 1 p.m. Everyone interested in helping to find a solution is urged to attend.

Joanne Pelant, housing resource coordinator for Island County, said the idea of having an overnight shelter began when she gave a presentation about the homeless problem to members of a church in Oak Harbor.

She asked if anyone was interested in starting a conversation about the problematic gap in services on North Whidbey and the Shelter Planning Committee was soon formed. It is made up of people from different governments departments, community groups and churches.

The group came up with a “white paper” outlying the basic plan for the Oak Harbor Haven, an overnight shelter for homeless people.

The South Whidbey Homeless Coalition, which runs an emergency and a cold-weather shelter on the South End, is changing its name to the Whidbey Homeless Coalition as it extends its reach to the entire island. Under the plan, the group would manage a shelter.

The committee hopes to get the community at large involved in the project, beginning with the community conversation.

“You can’t solve a problem by ignoring it,” said Faith Wilder, president of the coalition’s board.

The need is very real, Pelant said.

The Island County Housing Support Center currently has 145 households on a wait list for housing support services, she said. This year’s Point in Time Count in Island County identified at least 222 homeless people, 153 of whom are unsheltered. Most of the people are in the Oak Harbor area.

A dozen or so homeless people in Oak Harbor have made themselves very visible downtown and in the area of Barlow Street and Barrington Drive, sometimes causing trouble. But Pelant said that small group isn’t representative of Whidbey’s homeless population, which largely consists of people who are working on a fixed income.

The affordable housing crisis on the island has meant that more low-income people are at risk. Some people have their leases unexpected terminated and end up living out of a car.

Oak Harbor Police Capt. Teri Gardner, a member of the Shelter Planning Committee, said it’s not uncommon for officers to encounter homeless people. Sometimes property owners report that people are living on their property. Sometimes people without shelter ask for help.

“When the weather gets cold, more people are asking for help,” she said.

The officers do what they can to refer people to organizations that can help, such as the Opportunity Council. But the lack of an overnight shelter is an obstacle for finding them help, she said.

The proposed model is for shelter that operates nightly and provides basic amenities, such as a cot, bedding and access to a bathroom, according to the White Paper. It would serve men in an area separate from women and children. Unaccompanied minors would not be allowed.

The shelter would have strict rules banning drugs, alcohol, weapons and tobacco. Lights out would be at 10 p.m. A continental breakfast would be provided in the morning. Guests would assist with cleaning up the facility and depart by 8 a.m.

Wilder said the proposal is for the shelter to be run by a combination of paid staff and volunteers. It would likely rely heavily on community organizations and churches, she said.

A vital component of the plan is that people can learn about alternative housing and other services while they are at the shelter, Wilder said.