New homeless shelter opens in Portland

(NOVEMBER 6, 2018) Soon there will be a new facility in Portland to help people who are homeless. It's called Walnut Park Shelter. It's located in the King neighborhood at the corner of NE Martin Luther King, Jr., Boulevard and NE Killingsworth Street.

Stacy Borke is a senior programming director at Transition Projects, which is the nonprofit that will manage the shelter. She says, "We haven't served people in this new neighborhood, and it's likely that there will be a number of vulnerable and underserved people seeking shelter."

According to Transition Projects, Oregon is one of the top five states with the highest rates of homelessness. 4,177 adults experienced homelessness in Multnomah County in February 2017. Nearly 40% did not have a warm and safe place to sleep.

The homeless population in Portland is now older, more disabled, and homeless for longer. One reason is that rents in the Portland area rose by 13% in 2016. That is three times more than the national rate.

The good news is that fewer people are living on the streets today than there were two years ago.

Walnut Park Shelter will open by Thanksgiving. There will be room for 80 individuals. It will house men, women, and couples over the age of 18. It will have a special focus on veterans, people with disabilities, and those age 55 or older.

Walnut Park Shelter will not serve meals or offer drop-in services. However, it will provide access to coffee, tea, books, and board games. The shelter also has room for residents to store their things. There will be bathroms with basic hygiene supplies, and pets are allowed, too.

Shelter guests must be pre-approved to stay there. After that, they can stay as long as they need. To make reservations, guests can call 503-280-4700 or visit the Transition Projects Resource Center, located at 650 NW Irving Street next door to Bud Clark Commons.

Walnut Park Shelter will be a seasonal shelter. That means it will be open only during the winter months.