Old bus station becomes new homeless shelter in Portland

(OCTOBER 25, 2020) The old bus station in downtown Portland closed in 2019. Soon it will become a shelter for people who are homeless.

The building is big. Many people can be inside with social distancing. The shelter will have 100 beds.

It will be open 24 hours a day. It will serve homeless people in the Old Town area. It will help people with disabilities, people who are over 55 years old, and people who are veterans. The building will also have meals, showers, and laundry.

"There's never a good time to be out on the streets. But this winter is shaping up to be a particularly dangerous one," says Shaynna Hobson. She is the director of shelter services for Transition Projects, which is the organization in charge. "We're glad to be partnering with the city and county to ensure that 100 folks will have a warm, dry, safe place to sleep each night this winter."

The new shelter, however, is only temporary. The company that owns the building wants to sell it.