County Held Grand Opening of Arbor Lodge Shelter in June. It’s Still Not Serving Anyone.

Multnomah County officials in late June held a grand re-opening of a 106-bed shelter in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood at the site of a former Rite Aid.

Three months later, and the Arbor Lodge shelter hasn’t sheltered a single person. County officials now say the shelter likely won’t open until mid to late-October.

That’s because it never officially opened for service, despite the opening summertime celebration.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services says the delay is because the shelter is awaiting an occupancy permit from the city of Portland. “We’ve been working with City of Portland inspectors to obtain a temporary certificate of occupancy, and hope to receive that next week,” says Joint Office spokesperson Julia Comnes says. “It will take shelter operator Do Good Multnomah about 30 days to move into the site, and after that, they will start welcoming guests.”

The shelter was slated to open in February 2024. Earlier this year, county officials told WW that opening had been delayed until May because it was awaiting the arrival of a door and some lighting fixtures. Now, it’s not slated to open until October.

When county, state and Metro officials convened at the shelter on June 26 to cut a ribbon celebrating the shelter’s opening, Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said: “Shelter saves lives. This reopening is about making sure every neighborhood in Multnomah County is able to offer those life-saving services.”

The Arbor Lodge opening was a topic of discussion at a recent WW endorsement interview held with a group of candidates running for the Portland City Council in District 2. The shelter is in the heart of that district, which covers most of North and Northeast Portland.