Shelter and Homeless Services

Shelter's and Homeless Services

Visiting 211info.org or calling 211 is the best place to start when seeking shelter resources. 211 maintains shelter resource lists and can provide you with some information about shelter availability and wait list status. For families with children and women in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy, 211 will take your name and a specialist will call you within 72 hours to conduct a needs assessment. Individuals assessed to be the most vulnerable are prioritized for placement in shelters. 211 also has an app that contains many community resources, you can download the app for free by searching 211info. 

  • Shelters usually operate on a first come/first serve basis until they are full. Some have waiting lists.
  • Many shelters require TB tests. Free/Sliding Scale TB tests are available at: Transition Projects, INC. 650 NW Irving, Portland OR 503-280-4700. Walk-in Hours: MONDAYS and THURSDAYS only, from 1:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.
  • Shelters in Multnomah County (Mult. Co. Joint Office of Homeless Services)
  • Map of Shelter's Located in Multnomah County  Multnomah County and the City of Portland fund year-round shelters for people experiencing homelessness and those seeking refuge from severe weather events. This interactive map displays all of the shelters distributed across Multnomah County and the City of Portland. 
  • PSU Resource Calendar - shows what resources are open for things like food/hygiene each day. General list of services for the unhoused. 
  • Rose City Resource Guide by Street Roots - Homeless services resource website.  

Alternative Shelter Communities

Alternative shelter sites are generally outdoor sites with tiny houses/pods that offer increased safety, security, community, and basic human needs to people who are living unhoused. A wide range of services can be provided in these alternative shelter sites, including on-site case management, physical and mental health services, and housing placement.

There are a variety of types of alternative shelters. The main ones serving people  in the Portland area are:

  • C3PO Villages (Creating Conscious Communities with People Outside) – see below for more info

  • Beacon Village PDX: 10-pod village located at Bridgeport United Church of Christ opened in Fall 2021, with support from the Joint Office of Homeless Services. Beyond shelter, the program also offers employment and other support services.

  • St. Johns Village: The village, operated by Do Good Multnomah under a contract with the Joint Office of Homeless Services, hosts 19 sleeping pods on land leased from a neighboring church, and includes a community building and on-site housing and case management services.  

  • Kenton Women’s Village: A village of 20 sleeping pods for self-identified women, operated by Catholic Charities with support from the Joint Office of Homeless Services. The Village offers on-site services including mental health care, visiting nursing students, financial literacy and individual development accounts, assistance with job search and/or benefits applications, housing search, cooking lessons, yoga, gardening lessons, social activities, food pantries, and more.

  • Dignity Village: The original “alternative shelter” village in Portland, founded in 2000 by the homeless community, for the homeless community, on land provided by the City of Portland. They call themselves “a cross between a transitional housing option and an intentional community.” The Joint Office supports Dignity Village by assigning housing case management workers to work with folks staying there.

  • Right 2 Dream Too is a nighttime rest stop that provides nighttime sleeping spaces to the community and longer-term shelter for folks who also help run the rest stop. The rest stop’s location is provided by the City of Portland. The Joint Office supports Right 2 Dream Too by assigning housing case management workers to work with folks staying there.

  • Agape Village: Tiny house village creating a safe, structured, stable and encouraging community for people to live in while they find the help and resources they need. Agape Village is constructed on a portion of the property at Central Nazarene Church.

  • SRVs (Safe Rest Villages) - A City of Portland led program (supported by the JOHS and providers) to provide unhoused Portlanders with a place to access sleep, basic and necessary hygiene, and access to case management and behavioral health services. Click here for Safe Rest Village Locations. Referral only -  Entry is by referral, for adults only (18+), partners, and pets OK.  Referrals will be made by first responders, Park Rangers, Portland Street Response, among other social service providers engaging with those living outside to a referral program to be managed by the Joint Office of Houseless Services.

  • WeShine - designs, builds, and operates neighborhood-based micro-villages that provide safe, transitional shelter and services where Portland’s vulnerable, unsheltered adults can live as they prepare to become successful tenants in permanent, affordable housing. info@weshinepdx.org

Homeless Service Providers

Transition Projects Inc - TPI is the largest provider of homeless shelter services in Multnomah County. Contact 503-280-4700. 

Portland Rescue Mission - Portland Rescue Mission provides food, shelter, restrooms, showers and clothing, mail and nightly chapel services. Information about these services can be found here.

Join  - Join conducts outreach to individuals living outdoors, housing retention services to newly housed households, and they have a day center. The day center provides restrooms, showers, mail services, laundromat vouchers, hygiene items, and clothing. Contact Join at 503-232-2031. They are located at 1435 NE 81st Ave., Portland, OR 97213.  

Northwest Pilot Project Shelter Lists

Animal Fostering Programs for Households who are Homeless or in Treatment

  • Ferns Place - Offers access to a network of animal fosters who volunteer to care for your pet for the duration of your medical care or addiction treatment. 

  • Multnomah County Animal Services -  Pets in Crisis Referral/Agreement Form (129.67 KB)

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