Multnomah County is in talks to fund more shelter beds at the Bybee Lakes Hope Center starting this spring — an effort to maintain shelter and services in the community at the same time as a temporary COVID-era shelter in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood prepares to close after the winter season.
Bybee Lakes, operated by Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, would bring online 100 additional beds at its Jordan Schnitzer Campus in North Portland. That would bring the total number of Bybee Lakes beds funded by the Joint Office of Homeless Services to 275.
The added beds would represent a slight overall increase in system capacity as the Downtown Shelter, located in Portland’s former Greyhound station and operated by Do Good Multnomah, currently provides 96 beds.
Preserving current shelter beds by shifting programs into longer-term buildings is a key part of Multnomah County and the City of Portland’s jointly developed Community Sheltering Strategy. The City and County share a shelter system with nearly 3,200 year-round and winter-only beds.
The Downtown Shelter opened at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020 as part of an urgent effort to preserve 24-hour, low-barrier shelter beds. Since opening, the Downtown Shelter has served 952 people, 468 of whom identify as chronically homeless, and 121 who are veterans.
It was one of 17 shelters opened or funded by Multnomah County and the Joint Office of Homeless Services since 2020. Those 17 shelters join nine other shelters opened by the City of Portland in the same span, including some with substantial County funding.
Because of challenges with the space and the cost of the lease, the Downtown Shelter was always intended as a temporary solution. Do Good Multnomah staff nonetheless served hundreds of people over the years, providing not only beds and meals, but also a sense of community and case management and other services that help people leave homelessness for housing.
The Joint Office believes adding beds at Bybee Lakes Hope Center would be a more cost-effective option than identifying another, new location for the units that will be closing down at the former Greyhound location.
“I want to thank the front-line workers at the Downtown Shelter for their many years of service ensuring hundreds of people had a roof, a bed, and services instead of sleeping out in the cold. They stepped up to take care of our neighbors during one of the most challenging chapters this community has ever endured,” said Dan Field, director of the Joint Office. “I also want to thank the team at Helping Hands for the conversations we’re having on growing our partnership there.”
“Our job now is to double-down on our good work expanding shelter options during the pandemic, and work with our partner providers to keep these beds open for years to come. Even though this shelter is closing, we are committed to maintaining capacity. No shelter beds will be lost,” Field added.
Just like previous shelter transitions in Multnomah County — when programs have moved to new locations or closed for renovations — Do Good Multnomah and the Joint Office will help current guests find other shelter options or connect to long-term resources like housing.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services is working with provider Helping Hands to support additional beds at Bybee Lakes Hope Center this spring. The Joint Office has supported 175 shelter beds there since 2023.
Since Helping Hands opened Bybee Lakes Hope Center in October 2020, they have helped 3,350 people experiencing homelessness, of which 17% were children.
“The beds are currently set up and ready to go,” said Mike Davis, CEO of Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers, noting details on a contract are still being determined. “Helping Hands appreciates the partnership with the Joint Office of Homeless Services and would work quickly to staff up appropriately, as safety is everyone's first priority when it comes to staff, volunteers, and participants.”
The Downtown Shelter will close March 30, 2025, and Do Good Multnomah will stop accepting new referrals in February in preparation.
Source: Multnomah County