City’s severe weather shelters will open for fifth consecutive night

Published 12:00 am Saturday, December 17, 2016

It’s been an icy, snowy mess in Portland for days on end.

Emergency winter shelters for the region’s homeless — which only open when triggered by certain factors such as frigid temperatures, wind, or even floods — have been open for consecutive days this week and last, and will be open this evening. And while the city remains in a housing and homeless crisis, it’s no surprise that those shelters have been regularly hitting capacity and beyond.

Transition Projects Inc., which receives funding from the Joint Office of Homeless Services, operates two emergency shelters, one at Imago Dei Shelter, 1302 S.E. Ankeny St., and another at its Bud Clark Commons location, 650 N.W. Irving St.

The shelters have seen an average of over 200 people a night combined, with a high point of 240 homeless people on Thursday night between both shelters. The shelters operate between 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and open when temperatures hit 25 degrees or lower, or if more than an inch of snow accumulates on the ground, or if temperatures hit 32 degrees or below with significant rain or sleet.

The nonprofit, the largest provider of shelter for homeless, single adults in the region, also has been assisting in Gresham, where needs are growing, according to Executive Director George Devendorf. On Thursday, Gresham city officials, with assistance from Transition Projects, opened the doors to the Multnomah County East government building so that 60 people could sleep in the hallways and lobby area in a “very impromptu sort of last minute arrangement,” Devendorf says. He says it will “probably go on tonight as well.”

He says there’s a lot of continuity of those staying at other shelters, so much that they recognize faces. It’s a different story on frigid nights.

“A lot of the people we serve on (severe weather nights) are people we don’t normally see … people who are living outside or in cars,” he says. “It’s a little different window on our homeless crisis.”

Some homeless individuals avoid shelters by choice, but when the weather is freezing, they may make the decision to seek it out.

Hypothermia can set in at temperatures even as high as 50 degrees, especially if it’s windy and rainy. Without adequate clothing, risk of injury or death rises for those without shelter.

The city makes the decision to open the emergency shelters based on climatic factors, Devendorf says. This week, shelters have been open since Tuesday.

However, just across the county line, Clackamas Service Center’s emergency warming shelter, at 8800 S.E. 80th Ave., has been open since Sunday. It opens when temperatures hit 33 degrees or below.

Though the service center would normally close at 4 p.m. and then reopen at 7 p.m. for the emergency warming shelter, employees have taken it upon themselves to man the shelter around the clock.

“Today [Saturday] we would normally be open until 4 (p.m.), but kicking people out when it’s 20 degrees is just not cool,” says Executive Director Debra Mason. “We’re literally trying to stay open around the clock, whether we’re getting paid for it from the county or not because we can’t just turn (people) onto the street.”

She says tensions are rising, and that the cold is wearing down many homeless individuals.

Though the shelter is technically in Clackamas County, it serves homeless from Multnomah County too. It’s only three blocks from the county line. It has space for up to 30, and there’s been a few nights this week, she says, that they’ve had to turn away up to “10, 11 or 12 people.”

There isn’t a high concentration of shelters in Southeast Portland — Willamette Center, at 5120 S.E. Milwaukie Ave., which opened last month, is nearest to Clackamas Service Center, more than five miles northwest.

“We can give people bus tickets and directions to another shelter, but sometimes it’s just really hard for people when it’s that cold,” she says, adding that many homeless individuals are carrying a lot of items.

It’s unsure if emergency shelters in Portland will be open again on Sunday night, but by Monday, temperatures should rise.

According to Colby Neuman, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, the area will be looking at highs climbing above 40, with rain.

Devendorf says last year, there were 11 days of severe weather that prompted emergency shelters to open.

“Tonight’s already going to be eight, and we’re still in December, so we’ll see how it goes.”

lhewitt@pamplinmedia.com

Emergency shelters in Multnomah County

(From http://211info.org/emergency)

Transition Projects Inc. Imago Dei Shelter

1302 SE Ankeny Street, Portland 97214

Intake: Walk in. Check in anytime after 8pm.

Hours: Open Saturday, December 17, 2016 8pm-8am

Serves: Adults and couples age 18 and older

Transition Projects Inc. Bud Clark Commons Emergency Shelter

650 NW Irving Street, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in. Check in anytime after 8pm.

Hours: Open Saturday, December 17, 2016 8pm-8am

Serves: Adults and couples age 18 and older

Union Gospel Mission

3 NW Third Avenue, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in

Hours: Open Saturday, December 17, 2016 9:30pm-5am

Serves: Unrestricted

East County Building Severe Weather Shelter

600 NE 8th Street, Gresham 97030

Intake: Walk in

Hours: Open Saturday, December 17, 2016 8pm-8am

Serves: Unrestricted, but single women and families are encouraged to try accessing shelters that serve women and children first

St. Francis Dining Hall

330 SE 11th Avenue, Portland 97214

Intake: Walk in

Hours: Open Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 10am until Sunday, December 18, 2016 at 7pm

Serves: Age 18 and older

YEAR ROUND SHELTERS:

Human Solutions Family Center

16015 SE Stark Street, Portland 97232

Intake: Walk in for intake (preferably between 9am-9pm) or call 503-477-9724 for information.

Hours: 24 hours per day / 7 days per week

Serves: Homeless families with children (any combination of adults with one or more minor children) and pregnant individuals in their third trimester

Portland Rescue Mission

111 W Burnside Street, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in or call 503-906-7690 for information. Additional beds available for winter shelter

Hours: 7 days per week. Entry to year-round beds 5:45pm, winter beds 8pm

Serves: Male-identified adults

Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES)

30 SW 2nd Avenue, Portland 97204

Intake: Walk in or call 503-227-0810

Hours: 7 days per week 6pm-7am

Serves: Female-identified adults

CityTeam International

526 SE Grand Avenue, Portland 97214

Intake: Walk in

Hours: 7 days per week 5:45pm-7am

Serves: Male-identified adults

Gresham Women’s Shelter

16141 E Burnside Street, Portland 97233

Intake: Dial 2-1-1 to be added to a callback list when the list is open. The list is currently closed.

Hours: 24 hours per day / 7 days per week

Serves: Female-identified adults

Porch Light Youth Shelter

1635 SW Alder Street, Portland 97205

Intake: Walk in or call Janus Youth Access Center at 503-432-3986

Hours: 7 days per week 8:45pm-8:45am

Serves: Displaced youth ages 14-24

Harry’s Mother Runaway Shelter

738 NE Davis Street, Portland 97232

Intake: Call 503-233-8111

Hours: 24 hours per day / 7 days per week

Serves: Youth ages 9-17

DAY CENTERS:

Rose Haven

627 NW 18th Avenue, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in or call 503-248-6364 for more information

Hours: Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 8:30-noon and 1pm-4pm, Wednesday 8:30am-noon and 1pm-3:30pm

Serves: Serves single women and women with children

Dignity Village Warming Shelter

9401 NE Sunderland Avenue, Portland 97211

Intake: Walk in or call 503-281-1604

Hours: 7 days per week 8am-10pm when temperatures are 40°F or colder or during heavy rains

Serves: Adults 18 and older

St. Francis Dining Hall

330 SE 11th Avenue, Portland 97214

Intake: Walk in or call 503-234-2028

Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Sunday noon-5pm

Serves: Unrestricted

Day Center at Bud Clark Commons

650 NW Irving Street, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in or call 503-280-4700 for more information

Hours: Monday-Friday 7am-6:45pm, Saturday/Sunday/holidays 8am-3:45pm

Serves: Adults experiencing homelessness or very low-income adults

St. Henry Catholic Church

346 NW 1st Avenue, Gresham 97030

Intake: Walk in

Hours: Tuesdays 1:30pm-5:30pm

Serves: Primarily serves individuals (men and women)

P:EAR

338 NW 6th Avenue, Portland 97205

Intake: Walk in or call 503-228-6677 for more information

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 8:30am-2pm

Serves: Youth ages 15-24 who are homeless or in transition

Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA)

5135 NE Columbia Boulevard, Portland 97218

Intake: Walk in or call 503-288-8177 for more information

Hours: Monday-Friday 3pm-5pm

Serves: Youth ages 15-24

CityTeam International

526 SE Grand Avenue, Portland 97214

Intake: Walk in or call 503-231-9334 for more information

Hours: Monday-Saturday 7am-6:30pm

Serves: Individuals and families

Saint Andre Bessette Catholic Church

601 W Burnside Street, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in or call 503-228-0746 for more information

Hours: Monday-Thursday 9:30am-11:30am, Saturday 9am-11am

Serves: Individuals and families

Portland Rescue Mission

111 W Burnside Street, Portland 97209

Intake: Walk in

Hours: Monday-Friday 8am-5pm

Serves: Homeless adults

Catholic Charities – Housing Transitions

2740 SE Powell Boulevard, Portland 97202

Intake: Walk in or call 971-222-1880 for more information

Hours: Monday-Friday 10am-1pm

Serves: Unaccompanied female-identified adults age 21 and older

Salvation Army Female Emergency Shelter (SAFES)

30 SW 2nd Avenue, Portland 97204

Intake: Walk in or call 503-227-0810 for more information

Hours: 7 days per week 9am-8pm

Serves: Female-identified adults

New Avenues for Youth (NAFY)

314 SW 9th Avenue, Portland 97205

Intake: Call the Access Center at 503-432-3986 to be screened

Hours: Monday/Wednesday/Saturday 2pm-5pm

Serves: Youth ages 15-24

Outside In

1132 SW 13th Avenue, Portland 97205

Intake: Walk in or call 503-432-3986 for more information

Hours: Tuesday/Thursday/Sunday 1pm-6pm

Serves: Ages 18-24

Interactive shelter map

https://multco.us/joint-office-homeless-services/distribution-shelters