Portland and Multnomah County Cooperate on $700,000 Plan to Create 200 New Shelter Beds

In a show of collaboration after years of rancor, leaders from Portland and Multnomah County said today that each of the two jurisdictions had stumped up $375,000 to open 200 new overnight, emergency shelter beds to protect people from the coming La Niña winter.

The La Niña weather pattern often brings wetter, colder weather to the Pacific Northwest.

The new beds come atop the 3,000 available already, the county and city said. Their joint release touted their record of opening 30 shelters together since 2020, suggesting that city and county leaders are equally committed to opening shelters. For years, leaders at the county pursued a strategy that prioritized permanent housing placements over shelter space.

The 30 shelters include congregate spaces, motel-based programs, family shelters, Safe Rest Villages, temporary alternative shelter sites, and other village-style programs. County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson was skeptical of the TASS sites when Mayor Ted Wheeler proposed them in 2022.

Vega Pederson, Wheeler and Mayor-elect Keith Wilson worked together on this years’ winter shelter plan, the city and county said. Talks have been going on since the November election.

“We cannot solve our homelessness crisis fast enough, especially for the many people sleeping in the cold on our streets tonight,” Vega Pederson said in a statement. “These overnight beds, put in place in addition to severe weather shelter beds, are an important step in providing the respite people need and are part of the overall work we’re doing as part of the Homeless Response System to shelter and house people and prevent homelessness from occurring in the first place.”

In his run for mayor, Wilson promised to end homelessness by focusing first on shelters, which he says are in short supply. He called the plan “a great first step in my commitment to end unsheltered homelessness in Portland, and a wonderful example of collaboration between city and county.”

The two jurisdictions said they will announce locations for the shelters in coming weeks.