City Manager update: April 2025
April 14, 2025
Winter shelter program provided warmth, safety to 200+
As the City continues to tackle homelessness, we are always looking for ways to make measurable progress. Over the winter months, we opened two city-owned buildings for the first time as temporary overnight shelters to better shield our unhoused residents from the freezing temperatures. From December to March, the shelters provided a safe and warm space for those in need to spend the night, and prioritized families with children and the most vulnerable in our community. Now that the shelters have closed, I’d like to share the positive outcomes.
The shelters were at capacity all season. More than 200 people were served at two locations (Vancouver Arts Hub, 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd. and 521 Chkalov Drive). 29 were young children and were able to reunite with family in one space at the same time. Participants and families took part in activities like yoga, birthday parties and bedtime stories.
Our two sites offered a combined capacity of about 60 beds each night. The shelter operator, Outsiders Inn, was able to connect all the shelter participants with housing assessments to help define their barriers to housing and find ways to move past them.
Throughout their stay, shelter residents were embraced by neighbors, including some who were initially opposed to the idea of an overnight shelter opening nearby. Together, the neighbors made posters and donated countless snacks, loads of clothes and coats, hats and scarves, socks and underwear, blankets and bedding, toiletries, shoes and more.
The City is grateful to the community of caring individuals who supported their sheltered friends and helped make a huge, positive difference for them.
Bridge shelter taking shape
Addressing homelessness is a top priority for the City and we continue to make progress. We are now moving urgently to open a bridge shelter as part of the City’s declared homeless emergency. This space will help “bridge” the gap between homelessness and housing with added shelter capacity and curated, wraparound care designed to help people overcome their barriers to housing. With a bridge shelter, we can help more people move through the continuum of care to stable housing, keeping them supported and safe at the same time.
Extensive community engagement with neighbors and surrounding businesses helped determine the shelter’s future location at 5313 N.E. 94th Ave. In late 2024, City Council approved the purchase and use of that property. The City also chose Do Good Multnomah, an experienced shelter operator, to help us work on the shelter’s design and scope, and eventually to manage the facility. And in December 2024, we hired Scott Edwards Architecture for shelter design and engineering.
Earlier this year, we finalized concept plans, and the shelter is now moving into the design phase. The shelter will be a pre-engineered metal building and is expected to have between 100 – 120 beds. Plans include space for a limited number of pets, covered outdoor recreation and a commercial kitchen in a second building to enable on-site food for residents.
As the project progresses, updates on design, contractor selection and the permit process will be shared with community members and stakeholders. We plan to open the shelter in 2026.