Building on a new homeless shelter in Southeast Portland at 82nd Avenue and Mill Street will start soon. Designed to open in late 2025, the former RV dealership in the Montavilla area will be transformed into a small house community with 38 pods serving up to 45 individuals.
People living in the nearby area have expressed worries about the future site.
Living a few doors down from the intended location, Phil stated, “I’ve been here for 33 years, so I’m not really a big fan of it.”
Frank Acosta, a 1997 resident, worried about possible issues. ” All it’s going to cause is theft, needles, drugs and people coming around stealing stuff.”
Ana, his sister, noted an elementary school one street away and voiced concerns about the safety of the youngsters. “I get terrified. Children walk all the time in this block.
County officials said they visited with the principal of the school to make sure the shelter won’t affect children.
Commissioners of Multnomah County authorized $4 million in taxpayer money last month to turn the empty site into a gated, 24/7 controlled homeless shelter.
Jeff supports the initiative since he used to be homeless and gets methadone treatment at a neighboring day facility. “I have rested beneath bridges and behind buildings. Not having anything makes things really difficult,” he remarked. “I believe it would provide individuals somewhere to start and help get more people off the street.”
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Fiscal accountability was underlined by Dan Field, Joint Office of Homeless Services director. “People camping on the street is unacceptable here. The taxpayers should be aware that our aim is to spend every dollar as efficiently as feasible.”
County officials signed a good neighbor agreement with the community under Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards’ direction before establishing safe routes to school for students passing the site.
Some residents remain dubious even with community meetings. “What difference did it bring about? We all had questions, noted them, and it didn’t help,” Ana stated.
Field promised ongoing involvement: “We treat our presence in the neighborhood quite seriously. We do not drop shelters in and vanish. We will be extremely sensitive to community needs since we will be here for the long run.
The shelter is a component of a bigger county project aiming at 1,000 shelter beds by 2025.
