On February 19th, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) will host a “Sneak Peek” of the Oak Street Village sleeping pod shelter at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. Organizers invite the public to tour the facility before residents move in. Invited speakers will provide brief remarks and participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Organizers ask people wanting to attend to RSVP for the event, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
In 2022, Multnomah County purchased the former RV sales lot and another site several blocks south to create shelter services along 82nd Avenue. However, it was not until officials selected 333 SE 82nd Avenue’s operator, Straightway Services, that the County announced the shelter’s format. Resident selection for Oak Street Village will prioritize individuals living in passenger vehicles and needing to park those while transitioning into the shelter’s housing. The site provides Pallet shelters branded sleeping pods, 33 onsite parking spaces, trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, and a communal kitchenette. Several years have passed since the County purchased the properties. Since then, County staff have worked to provide community outreach and secure support for the site through a Good Neighbor Agreement.
The second county-owned county site in Montavilla at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue will take on a similar development path but will not focus on supporting residents with cars. That second shelter will likely open at the end of 2025 if the project keeps to schedule. Although the sites are different, this sneak peek can provide a view into how shelter operators organize these sites.
Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Montavilla’s County district representative Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards will speak at the event. Other invited guests addressing the attendees include Pastor Dwight Minnieweather from the site’s service provider, Straightway Services, alongside business and neighborhood association leaders. JOHS director Dan Field will share the project’s history and update people on the facility’s next steps. Event parking for the Wednesday midday gathering on the 19th is available at the Montavilla United Methodist Church at 232 SE 80th Avenue, one block west of Oak Street Village. Event organizers will provide snacks and refreshments.
On December 9th, the Montavilla Neighborhood Association (MNA) voted unanimously to sign the Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for the Oak Street Village shelter site at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. The Multnomah County-owned property will open to temporary residents in early 2025, and formalizing a community agreement is a significant step toward launching this shelter. The 32-page non-binding document covers the signers’ shared commitment to adhere to their agreed responsibilities and follow set communication standards to resolve conflicts.
The GNA signers include the Joint Office of Homeless Services, the City of Portland, shelter services providers Straightway Services, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association, and the MNA. Each party has distinct responsibilities and roles in the agreement, and the GNA can update through its duration with the consent of the signers. The MNA sees the Community Advisory Committee formed by the GNA as a critical part of the document’s strength. That committee meets monthly with members from each signing party and village residents to review operations in a collaborative problem-solving format. This continual engagement ensures the parties maintain strong lines of communication and identify opportunities for collaboration between the village participants and the Community.
The GNA establishes an Engagement Zone bordered by the west side of SE 80th Avenue, the east side of 83rd Avenue, the north side of SE Ash Street, and the south side of SE Stark Street. The City will grant high-priority services within the defined area, and the site operator commits to regularly engaging with people in the zone to limit community impacts around Oak Street Village. The prioritized city services include the removal of unsanctioned campsites or abandoned vehicles, emergency calls, non-emergency calls, and cleaning services. The City has to adhere to its policies regarding each service but agrees to rank occurrences higher in the Engagement Zone.
Zone map from GNA (Engagement Zone – Red, Good Neighbor Zone – Blue)
The GNA states that the service provider will initially favor referrals into Oak Street Village from Montavilla’s unsheltered population, potentially reducing the number of persistent unsanctioned campsites in the neighborhood. This site prioritizes individuals living in vehicles who want to keep their car while moving into sleeping pods. Oak Street Village supports people making that transition by offering onsite parking for one personal vehicle per resident. This somewhat unique shelter feature generated many questions from neighbors during community engagement meetings. The GNA includes Straightway Services’ written policies, which outline the provider’s prohibition of onsite vehicle repair, prolonged idling, sleeping in a vehicle, or extensive property storage in the cars. The cars must fit within the marked parking stalls, blocking the storage of recreational vehicles or other oversized trucks. Owners of parked cars leaking fluids must use drip pans and properly dispose of hazardous materials to prevent runoff contamination of the stormwater system.
The agreement also covers future site placement, limiting Multnomah County’s expansion of the JOHS Community Sheltering Strategy within the Good Neighbor Zone. The Good Neighbor Zone surrounding the Engagement Zone is bordered by SE 75th Avenue, SE 88th Avenue, E Burnside Street, and SE Yamhill Street. It also has an extension from E Burnside Street up NE 80th Avenue and NE 82nd Avenue to incorporate the Vestal School. This agreement and other potential sites with a similar GNA will significantly reduce the potential for more County-owned sites along Montavilla’s section of 82nd Avenue.
The GNA mandates the regular collection of metrics to track the shelter’s impact on the neighborhood. Members of the Community Advisory Committee will monitor the data, which will become publicly accessible through existing dashboards and other group communications. As the County prepares a second site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue, this GNA will likely play an influential role in that site’s Good Neighbor Agreement. The other parties will have to sign the document, but JOHS leaders expect that will happen before the residents begin moving into the 333 SE 82nd Avenue site.
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On Thursday, October 10th, demolition crews with Buildskape razed the single-story auto sales building on the Multnomah County-owned property at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. As they prepared the site for an alternative outdoor shelter, workers removed the signage and high-intensity light poles used by RV and automotive sales tenants over the last several decades. In early 2025, people transitioning out of houselessness will begin moving into 29 one-room sleeping pods and receive support from site operator Straightway Services.
At an October 9th community meeting, engagement coordinators with the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) announced the final name of the shelter site. Up to this point, JOHS referred to the project under the working name of Montavilla Community Village. After consulting with community groups and business association members, officials selected the site name Oak Street Village. This final name establishes its location and will disambiguate it from a planned second Montavilla shelter location further south at SE 82nd Avenue and Mill Street. That other location will start development next year, with residents expected in 2026.
With the site nearly cleared of debris, crews will soon begin digging trenches for water and sewer infrastructure connecting to portable units that house showers, bathrooms, kitchenette space, and a laundry facility for residents. The site uses Pallet branded shelters for the eight-by-20-foot shed-style sleeping pods. Residents and staff will have 33 onsite parking spaces, trash services, and other communal spaces for pet relief and covered outdoor seating. Straightway Services staff members operate the site 24 hours a day, working from the office building at the SE Oak Street entrance.
Oak Street Village site rendering courtesy Multnomah County
Up to 40 adults can reside at the Oak Street Village. That number varies based on the number of couples staying at the shelter who can share a single sleeping pod. The JOHS-funded program intends for guests to have a limited stay at this site and use it as a stepping stone to finding stable housing. Rules of the shelter prohibit the use of illegal substances and alcohol. People may not possess dangerous weapons at Oak Street Village, and visitors are not allowed unless they are part of an approved support service. Residents will abide by quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and Straightway Services will answer an onsite phone line available to the public to respond to questions or hear neighbor’s concerns.
These Oak Street Village policies and other considerations are part of a community engagement process that includes a lengthy Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) working group process that is wrapping up ahead of the site’s opening. Representatives of the JOHS, Straightway Services, Montavilla Neighborhood Association, Montavilla East Tabor Business Association, and the City of Portland participated in the process and will sign the agreement. That document calls for a community advisory group to track set metrics for area livability and will meet quarterly to review and advise on changes that could improve conditions.
Montavilla News first reported on the County’s intentions for two former RV sales sites along 82nd Avenue at the end of 2022. Over the last two years, the County increased its engagement strategy and held several community meetings. Organization representatives on the GNA working group described the process as productive at the October 9th meeting. They said people can view a complete version of the document at an upcoming neighborhood association meeting planned for later this year. Once signed, it will become a public document for anyone to read, with amendments and other relevant data appearing online. Construction crews will work on the site over the next three to four months before Straightway Services takes over the property to ready it for guests’ arrivals around February 2025.
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On March 20th, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) held its first widely attended public meeting regarding shelter plans for the Multnomah County-owned property at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. The second County run meeting on April 3rd will continue the community conversation with JOHS staff, City of Portland representatives, and site operator Straightway Services in attendance. On April 8th, the Montavilla Neighborhood Association (MNA) will dedicate a significant portion of its meeting to the Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) for this site in cooperation with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA). Then, on April 11th, the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners plans to vote on authorizing funds to demolish the existing RV sales office on the site and construct the required trash enclosure, plumbing, and electrical connections for the modular structures.
JOHS officials began working on a usage strategy for the shelter site in 2022, giving it the working title Montavilla Community Village. Multnomah County purchased the former RV sales lot and another site several blocks south to create shelter services along 82nd Avenue. Resident selection for Montavilla Community Village will prioritize unhoused individuals with passenger vehicles from the Montavilla area. Shelter operators will then accept people living unsheltered on the nearby streets, working with established services groups to locate potential residents with ties to the neighborhood. The site’s design provides space for 29 Pallet shelters, 33 onsite parking spaces, trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry, and a communal kitchenette. Montavilla Community Village could house up to 40 people with 24-hour wraparound support from Straightway Services staff.
KGW’s coverage of Multnomah County March 20th community meeting
At the March 20th meeting, Montavilla residents asked questions and voiced concerns. Comments focused on the proposed shelter’s location and effect on the surrounding blocks. Some attendees expressed support for the project, while the most vocal in the group asked for more consideration for the impact on neighboring businesses and residents. Leaders of JOHS and Straightway Services clarified some assumptions about the site operation, saying that they have no intention of bringing in new unhoused people to the neighborhood. They explained that they intend to support those people already living unsheltered in the area who want to come in from the streets. They recognize that not everyone wants to follow site rules or join the community. Instead, they will concentrate on people looking to change their current living situation by providing supportive services and access to stable housing opportunities.
Montavilla Community Village site rendering courtesy Multnomah County
The site is on SE 82nd Avenue next to a McDonald’s restaurant and a new day services provider. Six single-family homes share the block with the 333 SE 82nd Avenue property, and one of the homeowners in attendance at the March meeting expressed concern over site orientation with the trash enclosure abutting her property. The JOHS has not submitted permits for this project to the City of Portland, and they will provide an opportunity at the April 3rd meeting to hear suggestions for the final layout. Some community members asked questions to JOHS leaders on March 20th that did not have immediate answers. Staff notetakers at the meeting recorded those questions so presenters could provide answers at the April meeting or through the Montavilla Community Village Newsletter. People who want to attend the Wednesday, April 3rd meeting should RSVP. The in-person event runs from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the Montavilla United Methodist Church at 232 SE 80th Avenue.
The following Monday, April 8th, residents and business people can attend the MNA meeting to hear the latest information on the project and receive updates on the JOHS’s timeline. MNA leaders will provide an overview of GNA focus points already identified, and the community will have time to provide feedback. METBA members involved in the GNA joint committee will attend the meeting for the conversation. The Montavilla United Methodist Church will host this MNA meeting. Organizers plan to offer online access to the meeting, but they encourage in-person attendance.
Julia Brim-Edwards, Multnomah County Board Commissioner for District 3, speaking at March 20th Meeting
On December 7th, the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the two agenda items related to Montavilla Community Village, asking JOHS for more community engagement before breaking ground on the SE 82nd Avenue site. District 3 Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards endorsed the initial pause due to requests from her Montavilla constituents requesting better communications from JOHS. Four months and several meetings later, those agenda items are in front of the Board of Commissioners again. The county already owns the land but needs Board approval to spend money demolishing the 2,328-square-foot office building and constructing sufficient power, sewer, and water to support the new residents. The 29 shelter pods are surplus from a Creating Conscious Communities with People Outside (C3PO) site decommissioned in 2021. Each shed-style shelter has electricity, heating, and air-conditioning. Even with those project cost savings, the County staff need $2,273,611 to redevelop this site and will seek authorization for those funds at the April 11th Board meeting.
The JOHS and MNA meetings are open to the public, and organizers encourage community members to participate in the GNA process. Anyone interested in watching the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners vote can view the live stream via the MultCoBoard YouTube channel. People intending to provide comments before the vote can testify in person or virtually by completing a request form. Even if County Commissioners approve the funding, residents will not move into Montavilla Community Village until late December, allowing months of continued work on the multi-party GNA.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Business Association Boardwhich will be an invited signer of the GNA
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
On March 20th and April 3rd, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) will hold meetings regarding shelter plans for Multnomah County-owned property at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. The Montavilla United Methodist Church, located nearby at 232 SE 80th Avenue, will host public gatherings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. each night. Event organizers ask that people RSVP for the meeting they plan to attend.
JOHS officials began working on a usage strategy for the shelter site, now called Montavilla Community Village, in 2022. Multnomah County purchased the former RV sales lot and another site several blocks south to create shelter services along 82nd Avenue. However, it was not until officials selected 333 SE 82nd Avenue’s operator, Straightway Services, that the County announced the shelter’s format. Resident selection for Montavilla Community Village will prioritize individuals living in passenger vehicles. The site provides Pallet shelters, 33 onsite parking spaces, trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry, and a communal kitchenette.
Montavilla Community Village site rendering courtesy Multnomah County
In late 2023, JOHS staff prepared to secure approval for the alternative shelter with 29 sleeping pods offering space for up to 40 people. On December 7th, the Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the two agenda items related to this project, asking for more community engagement before breaking ground on the SE 82nd Avenue site. Since then, the JOHS began working with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association, Montavilla Neighborhood Association, and 82nd Avenue Business Association to create a Good Neighbor Agreement. The two upcoming public meetings will inform engaged community members about the shelter project and allow people to share feedback.
The JOHS encourages neighbors to complete an email sign-up form to receive communications regarding Montavilla Community Village’s progress and asks those who can attend a meeting to RSVP for March 20th or April 3rd.
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Business Association Board
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.
Last week began and ended with community meetings regarding the placement of alternative outdoor shelters in Montavilla. Meeting attendees expressed mixed support for the temporary housing program, and a significant number of residents voiced their disappointment with County communication regarding these shelter projects. Elected officials presented at both gatherings, but many community members’ concerns remain unanswered as the area residents wait for Multnomah County to engage in public conversations.
Organizers scheduled the two meetings soon after The Oregonian/OregonLive revealed that a 5.8-acre Volunteers of America (VOA) Oregon property could become an alternative outdoor shelter for up to 150 people experiencing houselessness. However, those early conversations did not produce a short-term lease for 8815 NE Glisan Street, and City staff will continue searching for locations outside of Montavilla. Some residents were concerned that this section of Portland was taking on an undue burden from government groups looking to address the housing emergency. At the end of December, Montavilla News broke the story that Multnomah County purchased two automotive sales lots along SE 82nd Avenue, with at least one location becoming an outdoor alternative shelter. The Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) recently announced that Straightway Services will operate a Safe Park alternative shelter at 333 SE 82nd Avenue.
The Safe Park model allows Portlanders experiencing vehicular homelessness to park and utilize their vehicles for shelter. The fully managed site will provide safety, sanitation, and case management to invited residents looking to transition off the street. Shelter rules prohibit Recreational Vehicle (RV) parking and unsanctioned camping at this location. The nonprofit provider, Straightway Services, will maintain staff onsite at all hours of the day and be responsible for managing the location’s residents. The site is already fenced and awaiting the demolition of the former sales office. JOHS staff expect residents to move in later this year.
JOHS has not announced plans for the second County-owned site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. However, they have indicated it will also address the shelter needs of the unhoused. Montavilla already hosts a County supported alternative outdoor shelter called Beacon Village, north of NE Glisan Street. That location is widely considered a successful implementation, and the County often cites it as an example in its communications. When these two new 82nd Avenue locations open, the County will have three alternative outdoor shelters within close proximity to each other, prompting questions from neighborhood residents about site selection diversity.
Mayor Ted Wheeler speaking at the March 18th, 2023, town hall
Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church hosted a Stand for Compassion gathering on Sunday, March 12th. Multnomah County Commissioner Diane Rosenbaum and State Representative Khanh Pham spoke briefly at the event. Over a dozen community members attended the gathering that focused on engaging in supportive conversations around the Safe Park site. Most attendees of this meeting felt hopeful about the program and appreciated that some new models of shelter support were coming to the neighborhood.
The Columbia Christian School hosted a town hall meeting on Saturday afternoon in their Eastside Church of Christ chapel. This event was coordinated by Safe Rest PDX and attended by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who spoke for an hour. With the VOA site no longer considered for a City run temporary shelter site, his conversation focused on the program’s ambitions to end unsanctioned camping in Portland and his belief that it was the most humane solution to getting people off the street quickly. Event organizers took written questions from the audience for the Mayor and selected a few to ask. After he concluded his portion of the meeting, the two hundred attendees thinned out considerably, and the TV news crews from Koin, KGW, KATU, and KPTV packed up their equipment. The event continued for almost another hour, with speakers sharing their experience engaging the unhoused and expressing concern over JOHS’s lack of communication. Examples of the County’s short Cummings centered around missing several self-imposed deadlines for mailing information to residents near 333 SE 82nd Avenue and the lack of County attendance at their meeting. Outside of the written questions for the Mayor, organizers asked attendees to refrain from speaking. However, they collected people’s concerns through a survey and plan to share those comments at a future date.
During Mayor Wheeler’s time at the lectern, he informed the crowd that the City was not planning to have any other large 150-person camps sited in Montavilla, limiting the future alternative shelters to the three County locations. JOHS and Straightway Services are committed to holding a public conversation with the community closer to the site’s opening and signing a Good Neighbor Agreement with the local business and neighborhood associations. Until then, there will likely remain a gap in public information beyond what is available on the County’s Frequently Asked Questions webpage for the Montavilla Safe Park.
By
Jacob Loeb
Disclosure: The Author of this article servers on the boards of Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Montavilla Neighborhood Association. Those groups will work with Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services and Straightway Services to draft a Good Neighbor Agreement for the Safe Park Village on SE 82nd Avenue.
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