Background

The current adult shelter, Oxford Street Shelter, is not owned by the City, is poorly configured, does not have sufficient day space to accommodate guests, and is unable to offer meals or sufficient services on site. The current building has three floors and lacks the efficiency that a single story model that is designed specificially for shelter guests requires to oversee guests. It also has cramped sleeping space which necessitates floor mats rather than cots and utilizes a large area for sleeping in the eaves of the building.

Vision

It is the goal of the City of Portland to operate a new state-of-the-art, one story, adult Homeless Service Center to replace the Oxford Street Shelter. The City of Portland Homeless Services Center will be located at 654 Riverside Street and will provide low barrier, temporary emergency shelter to individuals experiencing homelessness over the age of 18.

The new Homeless Services Center will be open 24-hours a day, 7-days a week with on-site meals and a wide range of services including: health and mental health care, substance use treatment, housing assistance, peer support, case management, employment assistance, and more.

As we continue to go through the process of public and community input, planning and eventually building, we will keep this site updated.