Portland Adding 280 Shelter Beds

Photo: City of Portland/Salvation Army

The City of Portland today announced the opening of two new overnight shelters that will provide a warm, safe place to sleep for hundreds of our homeless neighbors undergoing recovery from substance abuse. This expansion will add 280 new beds to the City's portfolio of emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness.

"As it gets colder at night, these shelters provide lifesaving beds for people sleeping outside," said Mayor Keith Wilson. "Our goal is a warm, safe bed for every person, every night as we help our neighbors off the streets, and keep them off the streets."

With the opening of these sites, the total number of overnight shelter beds created by the City of Portland since January 2025 now stands at 1,090. Wilson's goal is to create 1,500 beds by the end of the year.

The beds announced today are designed for people pursuing recovery from drugs and alcohol. Guests are required to demonstrate a commitment to staying clean and sober and cannot be under the influence of drugs or alcohol when they enter the shelters. As with all city shelters, drugs and alcohol are not permitted on site.

Shelter beds are a key component in the Mayor's blueprint for confronting the crisis of homelessness in Portland.

"Getting people a dignified, safe place to sleep at night, is a crucial step in helping them stay clean and sober," said Skyler Brocker-Knapp, Director of Portland Solutions, the city agency overseeing the shelters. "This is how they get on the path to connecting with health care, drug treatment, temporary housing, and all the services they need toget back on their feet."

The two shelters are run by two local nonprofits, CityTeam Portland and Transition Projects.

"This new partnership with the City of Portland represents months of hard work, trust-building, and collaboration between those on the ground and those in leadership," said Lance Orton, Executive Director of CityTeam Portland. "Providing a sober, stable environment for people coming out of detox is one of the most critical steps in breaking the cycle of addiction and homelessness. The CityTeam Grand Shelter reflects what happens when elected officials and community partners come together to turn compassion into action."

"Living on the streets is tough — mentally, physically, and emotionally. Transition Projects is proud to partner with the City to open a new overnight, recovery-oriented shelter — providing an essential step in helping people move from homelessness to housing. While participants are in this shelter, we'll work alongside them to take the next steps in their recovery and housing journey," shared Tony Bernal, Chief Executive Officer of Transition Projects.

Both shelters are located on Grand Avenue near Southeast Washington Street.

Community engagement

As Portland expands its network of overnight homeless shelters, the City has launched a Community Engagement Plan that centers neighborhood support, transparency, and safety.

"Overnight emergency shelters are a pragmatic and proven tool in any successful response to the homelessness crisis," said Wilson. "We're determined to save lives, restore dignity to those we serve, and improve the safety and livability of our communities. Our neighborhoods are no longer on their own--I am committed to showing up for communities with the resources and support they need to restore public safety and livability."

Shelter benefits

These shelters will have a tremendous positive impact to the people they serve. Unsheltered homeless people facesignificantly higher risks than sheltered homeless people, including higher rates of chronic illness, victimization, and death.

  • Overnight shelters help prevent premature death.
    • A comprehensive study in JAMA Internal Medicine reports that people living on the streets are 300% more likely to die than homeless people who live in an overnight shelter. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6142967/
    • In 2023, 456 people experiencing homelessness died in Multnomah County. This is 6 times greater than the number of Portlanders who died from car accidents and 6.5 times greater than the number of Portlanders who died of homicide.https://multco.us/info/domicile-unknown
  • Overnight shelters help prevent poor mental and physical health.
    • The Journal of General Internal Medicine found that unsheltered women have three times the risk of poor physical health and 12 times the risk of poor mental health compared to those who can sleep in a shelter. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.2000.07007.x

These aren't the only beds in Portland

The beds announced this year are not the only shelter beds available in Portland. The City, Multnomah County, and other partners offer a range of shelter options for people who are homeless.

Bigger picture

Overnight shelters are a vital part of the city's plan to address the homeless crisis. Other components include:

Source: City of Portland

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