City Council Considers Multnomah Village Shelter

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

GoLocalPDX News Team

Jerome F. Sears Army Reserve Center; via the Pentagon

The Portland City Council will vote on Thursday on whether to adopt the recommended fall supplemental budget adjustments, including whether to establish a temporary homeless shelter in Multnomah Village by the end of the month.

The proposed budget includes $1 million for upgrades at the Jerome F. Sears Army Reserve Center, which has been decommissioned, on Southwest Multnomah Boulevard. The upgrades would be used to create a six-month nighttime shelter for women and couples that would open before the end of November.

The armory is set to be used as an equipment storage facility and a fueling station for city transportation vehicles in the event of a natural disaster, but the building needs roughly $12 million in upgrades before it can be used.

The improvements made to turn the building into a shelter—made possible by the declaration of a housing state of emergency—would bring it closer to the site’s intended purchase.

The building is equipped with roughly six showers and a small kitchenette. The city plans to house roughly 100 people there.

Neighborhood groups in the area have raised concerns about the project, and held a neighborhood meeting to discuss the project on Tuesday.

More Money Set Aside for Housing

The homeless shelter in Multnomah Village is not the only housing project looking for funding in the Fall Supplemental Budget Process.

The budget also includes a request to increase the Portland Housing Bureau budget by $10 million next year. The increase is part of a $30 million pledge made by Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury to help fix the city’s housing crisis.

Also in the budget is a proposed $1.26 million for other homeless shelters. According to the Mayor’s Office, these funds would be used to establish mobile provider teams. These units would offer housing referral, triage and veteran assistance services at shelters around the city.