PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Neighbors in Portland’s Pearl District will gather Wednesday for a public meeting about a new homeless shelter planned for the area.
City leaders confirmed Tuesday they will lease a building on NW Northrup Street, between 14th and 15th avenues, to open a shelter this summer with 40 beds — expanding to 200 by year’s end.
The city calls the shelter a key step toward getting people off the streets, but some neighbors say they were blindsided and fear it could bring more problems.
Michelangelo Navea said the city “should have asked us first, as a community. Instead of saying, ‘Here we’re gonna do it,’ the city didn’t say anything.”
Todd Zarnitz, president of the Northwest District Association, said residents feel cut out of the process.
“People take their community seriously here,” Zarnitz said. “And they’ve completely been cut out of the process.”
He called the city’s plan short-sighted and warned it could cause issues in the neighborhood.
“Really what we have is a cancerous drug culture eating the town inside and out,” Zarnitz said.
Rob Layne, senior communication strategist for the City of Portland, said, “These emergency overnight shelters are life-saving interventions, part of the solution to reduce street camping and help move our city’s unsheltered population toward stability. We are working closely with local associations and neighbors to address concerns and answer questions as we develop the shelter.”
According to the city, it will pay roughly $18,000 a month to rent the building for the shelter.
The plan is part of Mayor Keith Wilson’s effort to create 1,500 shelter beds citywide by December.
Some neighbors say it’s money well spent.
Rachel Billington said, “I think it’s good if they’re getting people off the street and into somewhere safer.”
Whether the plan brings solutions or headaches, neighbors say the conversation is just getting started.
“Being homeless is not a crime,” Navea said. “But if you put that shelter here, you’re gonna see a lot of drug use.”
The Salvation Army is reportedly in talks to run the shelter but did not respond to KOIN 6’s request for comment.
The Northwest District Association is holding a virtual meeting on Wednesday and an in-person meeting on Monday to discuss concerns.
