Multnomah County and the City of Portland are adding a seventh overnight warming location tonight, Friday, Feb. 24 — adding capacity as the region grapples with a fourth night of severe winter weather.
Lloyd Center, which has been a daytime warming center starting Thursday, Feb. 23, will remain open overnight and join six severe weather shelters already serving hundreds of people.
With forecasts showing a chance of severe weather lingering through the weekend, City and County leaders continue to ask community members to volunteer to staff several of the shelters, calling that support essential to the City and County’s ability to continue providing warm spaces for hundreds of people during this historic winter storm.
Volunteers should sign up through the links below, and are encouraged to pick a location nearby to avoid transportation issues:
- Friendly House (1737 N.W. 26th Ave., Portland)
- Charles Jordan Community Center (9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland)
- Salvation Army (5325 N. Williams Ave., Portland)
- Imago Dei (1302 S.E. Ankeny St., Portland)
- Lloyd Center (1196 N.E. Halsey St., Portland)
Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a 2-hour online training before their shift, if possible. Register for the training here.
The seven sites remaining open overnight through at least Saturday morning are:
- Arbor Lodge, 7440 N. Denver Ave., Portland (corner of N. Lombard and N. Denver)
- Salvation Army, 5325 N. Williams Ave., Portland
- East Portland Community Center, 740 S.E. 106th Ave., Portland
- Charles Jordan Community Center, 9009 N. Foss Ave., Portland
- Imago Dei, 1302 S.E. Ankeny St., Portland
- Friendly House, 1737 N.W. 26th Ave., Portland
- Lloyd Center (1196 N.E. Halsey St., Portland)
No one who comes to a shelter will be turned away. All sites welcome pets and are accessible to people with disabilities. People in need can call 211 for free transportation or ride TriMet to warming shelters or any other warming space — but they should expect delays. TriMet will not turn away anyone traveling to or from a warm place who cannot afford to pay fare during the state of emergency. Check trimet.org/alerts before leaving to check routes.
Final decisions about shelters for Saturday, Feb. 25, will be announced that morning.
Shelters nearly reach capacity Thursday night
Shelters reached 96% capacity overnight Thursday, Feb. 23, with 656 people using the emergency beds, and more than 500 people transported to a shelter through 211 and through City and County ground transportation.
The Joint Office of Homeless Services and its contracted providers are continuing street-level outreach to people living outside, providing life-saving supplies and services.
Winter weather is especially dangerous for anyone experiencing houselessness, and can also pose a greater risk for older adults and people with disabilities.
If you see someone about whom you are concerned during cold weather, such as an individual who is not dressed warmly enough for the weather conditions, call the City of Portland’s non-emergency response line at 503-823-3333 and request a welfare check.
If someone outside is unsheltered and their life appears to be in danger, call 911.
Stay informed and check on neighbors
Emergency managers and the Multnomah County Health Officer are advising all community members who are currently in a safe location to stay in place and avoid travel if possible.
Care for When It’s Cold: Up-to-date information from Multnomah County on shelters, safety and support.
211info.org: Up-to-date info on weather conditions, available resources, where to find the nearest available shelter and transportation options. You can also find out where you can donate winter weather items to those who need them. Sign up for Severe Winter Weather alerts via email or text by going to 211info’s sign-up page.
National Weather Service: Check weather warnings in the Portland Metro area.
Public Alerts: Sign up to get emergency alerts about safety concerns in your area.
TriMet Alerts: Check for winter weather advisories.
ODOT TripCheck: The Oregon Department of Transportation TripCheck site updates Oregon road conditions and streams live roadside video.
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Media contacts:
Julia Comnes, 971-442-0177, julia.comnes@multco.us
Sarah Dean, 971-349-0287, sarah.dean@multco.us
