Supporting the Arbor Lodge Shelter, Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, and Kenton Neighborhood Communities
Supporting the Arbor Lodge Shelter, Arbor Lodge Neighborhood, and Kenton Neighborhood Communities
The Arbor Lodge Shelter Community Advisory Committee (CAC) serves as a collaborative, problem-solving body that maintains strong lines of communication between the Homeless Services Department, Do Good Multnomah (the shelter operator), and the community through the Arbor Lodge Neighborhood Association and Kenton neighbors while ensuring agreement commitments are upheld and fostering transparency. The CAC identifies opportunities for greater collaboration and develops solutions to recurring problems that benefit the shelter, its participants, and the broader community.
Update from May 26, 2026 Community Advisory Committee Meeting
Do Good Multnomah held its annual Ruck March fundraising event over the weekend, with strong turnout including many veterans. Arbor Lodge participated with the march's first stop was right outside the shelter, where volunteers set up a drink booth and shelter participants helped make signs.
Occupancy remains in the mid-90s, against a full capacity of 106. The shelter is intentionally holding some beds vacant to support participants transferring in from shelters that are closing. The beds currently available are predominantly lower bunks, which helps accommodate incoming participants with ADA needs.
Do Good Multnomah is meeting with Transition Projects Inc. (TPI), a major nonprofit partner, to discuss expanded partnership and referral pathways in the new fiscal year, particularly in anticipation of system-wide shelter closures.
The Fiscal Year 2026–2027 budget has been approved for negotiation and is scheduled for adoption on June 4. Until then, board amendments could still affect the homeless services system. The updates below reflect the Chair's proposed budget:
Across the adult shelter system, roughly 670 beds are projected to close. This is happening in phases:
Two motel shelters closing at the end of June;
Five a group of congregate and alternative shelters closing or having reduced beds by the end of August;
Another motel shelter is projected to close mid-year.
Operators are managing these closures gradually by pausing new intakes, allowing census to decline through attrition as participants find successful outcomes. One motel shelter closing in June has dropped from a capacity of 55 to roughly 13 participants.
Other shelters in the system, including Arbor Lodge, are supporting closures by holding beds open for shelter-to-shelter transfers, with the goal of avoiding any exits from shelter directly into unsheltered homelessness.
The Chair's budget includes $10 million in one-time funding to support placements out of shelter and improve system efficiency. Several board amendments propose redirecting that funding toward other programs facing cuts, such as workforce and employment services.
One board amendment would reallocate funding for the North Portland Drop-in Center, effectively closing the program. The center has connected unsheltered neighbors to shelter referrals, housing placements, and other services, and is regarded as a successful resource for the area. Its future remains uncertain pending the budget vote.
The public budget hearing sessions have passed, but testimony can still be submitted either to Commissioners’ offices, or to the Board Clerk (boardclerk@multco.us)
Board amendments that might impact our system
Amendment 1D would reallocate funding from the North Portland Drop-in Center (effectively closing the program)
The drop-in center has served 265 unique individuals, referred 42 people to shelter and completed 55 housing assessments. The program has also served 9 individuals who are currently housed.
Other amendments are looking at reallocating the one-time funding for placement out of shelter to buy back other programs scheduled to be cut, e.g., workforce development, etc.
TPI has also been identified as the new operator for the Delta Park shelter and the Rockwood Bridge shelter, following the closure of their previous operator, Sunstone Way, at the end of the fiscal year.
A coordinated site visit is being planned with the City of Portland's PEMO program, tentatively for the week of June 8, to look at problem-solving around trespassing and illicit activity behind the Heavenly Donuts and at the vacant lot across N Denver. The visit is expected to include HSD and, hopefully, the City and neighbors.
Neighbors experiencing ongoing issues are encouraged to document and report them, through online police reports with photos and timestamps, and through 311, so that the City has the inputs needed to prioritize a response. The PEMO Problem Solver program (portland.gov/pemo/pemoproblemsolver) can also connect business and property owners with problem-solving resources, and small grants may be available for measures like fencing in high-traffic areas.
The shelter manager continues to follow up on any concerns involving identified shelter participants, while coordinating with both the Arbor Lodge and Kenton neighborhoods.
Earlier concerns from the neighbor directly across from the shelter have subsided, and that neighbor has withdrawn their original concerns.
The County continues to address an issue with pre-6 a.m. trash pickups by Waste Management that violate the noise ordinance, affecting a residential neighbor behind the shelter. The County and City have levied several thousand dollars in fines and have elevated the issue to Waste Management leadership; the County is exploring switching to a different commercial trash servicer countywide if the problem persists. Shelter staff have been asked to hold off on moving rolling bins outside until around 6 a.m. to limit noise.
June 30, 2026
If you would like to contribute donations, you can check the "Give Support" section below for the items the shelter most greatly needs right now. You can drop off donations to the shelter, or contact arbor-lodge-shelter-cac@googlegroups.com to coordinate for a member of the CAC to pick up your items.
The Arbor Lodge Shelter can always use additional support. The CAC will maintain this page with the most current list of most-needed items.
Money donations can be made directly to Do Good Multnomah on their donation page. If you want your donation to go directly to the Arbor Lodge Shelter you indicate that by leaving a comment when donating.
Toothbrush holders (caps for bristles)
Sunscreen (individual- if possible)
Coffee
Cooling towels- for necks
Reusable water bottles
Wound-care supplies (bandages, medical tape)
Sun hats
Tea/hot cocoa for the coffee bar
Combs
Travel-sized lotion
Bike locks
Headphones
Flowers
Soil
Backyard bouquets from neighbors' gardens are especially enjoyed by participants and staff. Contact your arbor-lodge-shelter-cac@googlegroups.com for more information.
The shelter is currently getting adult and children book donations from the library, including children's books, and want to share with the community. We have obtained donations of materials and labor and installation for our little library along the line of bushes on the west side along Denver. Stop by !
Manager of the shelter, Sean Rotbergs can be reached at his email address.: Srotbergs@dogoodmultnomah.org
Do you need to report an issue related to the shelter or looking for support from the CAC? You can contact us at arbor-lodge-shelter-cac@googlegroups.com.