On August 18th, demolition crews began razing the single-story sales office and shop at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue to make room for the second Multnomah County-owned shelter site in Montavilla. After workers remove the 1964-era single-story building, last used as an RV sales location, the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department will begin preparing the site to support a new sober shelter that Do Good Multnomah will operate. That development will take place during the 2025-2026 winter season, creating utility connections for 38 single-occupancy shelters with supporting portable sanitation and cooking facilities.
Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, with the most recent meeting in April announcing that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property.
Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is located near two schools. The project designers will set back the new seven-foot-high chain-link fence on SE Mill Street to allow for more sidewalk-adjacent plantings, providing a buffer space and allowing for greater resident privacy beyond the plastic fence inserts that will obscure sightlines from the street.
Demolition work continues at the property for the rest of the week. Early plans intended to salvage portions of the wood roof structure above the glass curtain walls for reuse in covered outdoor amenities on the site. That level of salvage and reuse may prove challenging, but the methodical approach to tearing down this building could indicate the intention to preserve reusable materials.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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On February 19th, representatives from Multnomah County, the City of Portland, and Montavilla community leaders joined the Oak Street Village shelter operators at 333 SE 82nd Avenue for a ribbon-cutting ceremony. This event officially opened the temporary shelter site that can house up to 40 adults in 29 sleeping pods with 33 parking spots so residents can store their personal vehicles. This opening follows years of delays while the Joint Office of Homeless Services, now transitioning its name to the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD), worked through its community outreach efforts to sufficiently include area residents and business owners in a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA).
ADA parking next to accesible pods
24-hour staffed office
Accessibel restroom
Before invited guests help cut the ribbon, marking Oak Street Village‘s launch, they addressed the gathered crowd of neighborhood visitors and TV news crews. Montavilla East Tabor Business Association president Neil Mattson and Montavilla Neighborhood Association president Laura Mulligan both expressed their appreciation for the efforts undertaken to develop a GNA that should mitigate many concerns Montavilla residents and business people expressed in the several community meetings held ahead of opening this shelter site. They also voiced their appreciation for the support of Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards, who helped align the site’s construction schedule with the community outreach and GNA work. When addressing the crowd, Commissioner Brim-Edwards remarked on the success of the community engagement’s outcome.
Montavilla East Tabor Business Association president Neil Mattson
Montavilla Neighborhood Association president Laura Mulligan
Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards
Commission Chair Jessica Vega Pederson
Pastor Dwight Minnieweather
HSD Director Dan Field
Multnomah County Commission Chair Jessica Vega Pederson joined Commissioner Brim-Edwards in stressing the importance of shelters like Oak Street Village in addressing homelessness. The County’s efforts to address the housing crisis include layers of support that attempt to prevent people from losing their housing and transition people off the street through various shelter formats. This unique village configuration allows those living in cars to move into more suitable shelters with electricity, heating, and cooling. The Pallet shelter branded sleeping pods have locking doors and an integrated bed. Oak Street Village also offers residents trash services, showers, restrooms, laundry facilities, and a communal kitchenette in shipping container-style units surrounding the site. Similar shelters offer the same amenities, but this location allows people to keep their vehicles, which may be their most valuable possessions. Giving up a personal car can remove one’s ability to find employment or travel to places to receive services. Oak Street Village’s configuration may better support certain people’s transition back to regular housing and jobs by not requiring them to give up their vehicles before receiving help.
Inside sleeping pod
Shower room
Pet relief area
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson celebrated this shelter’s opening and thanked the Montavilla Neighborhood for its support. His fondness for the community predates his elected position. While running for office, he helped open the PDX Saints Love Day Services Center across the street from Oak Street Village. Both locations complement the Mayor’s plan to end unsheltered homelessness in the city. He also thanked the former Montavilla Neighborhood Association president, Spencer Knowles, for his work bringing the neighbors into the GNA process for both facilities. Knowles stepped down from the board to take a position on Portland City Councilor Steve Novick’s staff. Knowles and Councilor Novick attended Oak Street Village’s opening ceremony along with Portland City Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane.
Council Vice President Tiffany Koyama Lane
Councilor Steve Novick
Pastor Dwight Minnieweather leads this shelter’s service provider, Straightway Services. His remarks focused on the importance of encouraging people to see their self-worth. He shared his story of addiction recovery from decades ago and how it was the words of one person who set his life back on track. He intends to offer the same supporting guidance to as many people as possible coming through his shelter. His organization recently rented office space across SE 82nd Avenue from the county-owned shelter site, and he intends to make roots in the community. HSD Director Dan Field spoke about his appreciation for Pastor Minnieweather’s commitment to his work and acknowledged that as a black man, Minnieweather faced heightened expectations. Field also talked about the challenges of creating shelters like Oak Street Village while being good stewards of public funds, and he thanked all those public employees involved for their dedication to delivering this project.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson
Residents and staff will soon begin moving into the Oak Street Village. Outreach specialists invite people to become residents, prioritizing people living in a vehicle, excluding recreation vehicles or motor homes. Straightway Services will focus on serving people in the Montavilla area first before inviting others from around Portland, ensuring the shelters keep people in their chosen communities and reduce unsheltered homelessness around the Village site. People should anticipate seeing activity at 333 SE 82nd Avenue within the coming weeks as people slowly take residence at Oak Street Village.
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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 5th, the Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) held a community meeting about a new alternative shelter planned for the former RV sales lot at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. This first community outreach gathering precedes a December 19th Multnomah County Board of Commissioners vote to fund the construction of this project. JOHS officials plan to have future community meetings and work on a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) after the County selects a service provider to operate the shelter site—presenters at the event anticipated service provider selection to occur in early 2025.
Community feedback at the meeting included many levels of concern for the proposed shelter’s operations and placement but also included some community support for the added short-term accommodations. Several residents felt this second county site was too close to another Multnomah County-owned location 15 blocks north on SE 82nd Avenue at 333 SE 82nd Avenue. Crews working for the JOHS are currently building the Oak Street Village there, and staff anticipates that sites will begin accepting residents in late January 2025. Other meeting attendees asked if the JOHS could delay work on the second site to give the neighborhood time to work through livability issues with the first site and learn from that experience to improve future site relations.
Illustration courtesy JOHS
Presenters and project designers leading this meeting intended to focus on design elements for the shelter site. Demolition crews will remove the current sales building on the property but salvage some wood roof beams for reuse in covered outdoor spaces. Staff and residents will access the site from SE Mill Street, where crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation will install new sidewalks and street trees and provide other road improvements as part of a separate project. Designers of the shelter site intend to erect a 7-foot-high fence around the property and provide signage and artwork at the perimeter that reflect community interests and values. Workers will remove sections of the asphalt pavement in the parking lot to create green spaces and a pet relief area. Portable units that will house showers, bathrooms, kitchenette space, and a laundry facility for residents are placed along the SE 82nd Avenue perimeter to create a sound barrier. Onsite parking is available for staff and service providers only. This site will not provide space for residents to park personal vehicles. Some neighbors questioned the placement of the trash enclosure on the property. However, designers felt its placement was necessary for trash hauler access. Despite efforts to keep the meeting focused on site design issues, audience questions often addressed programmatic functions and concerns regarding the site’s placement in the community.
Illustration courtesy JOHS
Parents living in the area and other attendees at the December 5th meeting expressed concern for the proposed shelter’s proximity to two public schools and a park. Bridger Creative Science School is one block west of the Mill Street site, and Harrison Park Middle School is several blocks southeast on SE 87th Avenue. JOHS representative Rory Cuddyer explained that his engagement group has communicated with both schools and anticipates their participation in the GNA creation process. Other presenters at the meeting addressed concerns about drug consumption at the shelter, indicating that it was not allowed at county-funded sites. However, due to the shelter’s low-barrier referral-only admission process, operators do not require sobriety for placement in one of the 38 free-standing sleeping pods. That raised other attendees’ concerns regarding drug use in the surrounding neighborhood. Select audience members and presenters noted that not all houseless people are drug users and that the full-time wraparound services offered at the shelter work to connect users to recovery services, in addition to other programs intended to move people into permanent housing.
Multnomah County Commissioner representing Montavilla, Julia Brim-Edwards, attended the meeting as an audience member, listening to all comments and speaking to individuals after the meeting concluded. Montavilla News first reported on the County’s purchase of the two properties in 2022. However, many attendees did not learn about this planned shelter until days before the meeting. Cuddyer explained that the County had an issue producing a mailer ahead of the first meeting, and staff hand-delivered notices instead. They intend to have a broader mailing out to area residents later in the process but encourage people to join the Montavilla Neighborhood Association‘s email list and follow updates on the JOHS project page to stay informed about upcoming community engagement. Cuddyer also urged people to provide comments if they wished at the December 19th Multnomah County Board of Commissioners session. People intending to provide public testimony on the vote must register by 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18th. To find the agenda item for this upcoming vote, check the County’s Board Meetings page the week of the meeting.
The article above originally published December 6th
Update December 18th, 2024: The JOHS posted a Frequently Asked Questions document on the 1818 SE 82nd Avenue shelter site’s project webpage addressing many questions received from the community expressed at the December 5th meeting. People intending to provide public testimony on the vote have until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, December 18th to register for Resolution R.1, seeking approval to “Proceed with Construction at the Harrison Community Village Project.”
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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 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
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Montavilla News first reported on Multnomah County’s shelter plans for the former RV sales lot in December 2022. Within the following year, JOHS and the site’s services provider, Straightway Services, adjusted the shelter’s format from a vehicle-based housing arrangement to now include Pallet shelters and onsite parking. Titled Montavilla Community Village, the site will use 29 micro-home buildings with eight units configured with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access. The site’s Kitchen, laundry, offices, and hygiene facilities will reside within six 8-by-20-foot shipping-container-style buildings. All of those structures will be ADA accessible, with the majority of them placed along SE 82nd Avenue, creating a safety buffer for residents.
Site rendering courtesy Multnomah County
County contractors will install privacy slats in the existing 6-foot-high chainlink fence around the site and build a new 8-foot tall wood fence on the western edge of the property between the other residences on the block. The site will feature two covered outdoor seating areas and a green space for pet relief. The existing auto-sales-office structure on the property is in poor condition, and demolition crews will remove it ahead of site redevelopment.
Site plan courtesy Multnomah County
The JOHS proposal includes several community engagement recommendations, including forming a Good Neighbor Agreement with community stakeholders and hosting a public meeting. It also encourages the JOHS to assign a staff person to be the face of community engagement. It recommends many ways for project planners to become more communicative and transparent in the development process through mailings and website communications. County staff need $2,273,611 to redevelop this site as a Community Village shelter and will seek authorization for those funds at this meeting.
The Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners meets at 9:30 a.m. this Thursday and will hear this agenda item after general community comments. Board meetings occur in the Multnomah Building at 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard in Boardroom 100. People who register for virtual testimony will receive a link or phone number to participate remotely. Anyone interested in watching can view the live stream via the MultCoBoard YouTube channel.
Update December 6th, 1 p.m.: When filling out comment requests, participants need to indicate they want to speak about Agenda Item R.1
Update December 6th, 7 p.m.: The JOHS asked to postpone this agenda item to anther date after more community engagement.
Update December 7th, 10 a.m.: The Multnomah County Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the two agenda items related to this project. Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said “The Joint Office (JOHS) has asked to postpone the item on the Montavilla Community Village shelter to allow the current work around community engagement to continue to move forward and take shape. So this request impacts both R1 and R2 on today’s agenda. While this may affect the overall timeline of the project, the commitment to this much needed shelter space is going to continue and I really appreciate the additional time for needed community engagement. The shelter also remains an essential part of the work, serving vulnerable residents in Montavilla and Southeast Portland, so this item will return to the agenda for a vote at a later date before moving forward. I support the request and I ask for a motion for an indefinite postponement.”
County Commissioners Julia Brim-Edwards and Sharon Meieran provided additional comment endorsing the delay to allow for more community engagement. Commissioner Meieran referenced many frustrations with the JOHS communications around this project and looked forward to correcting that ahead of a future vote on the project.
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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.
In the second half of 2022, Multnomah County purchased two automotive sales lots in Montavilla along SE 82nd Avenue. At least one location will become an outdoor alternative shelter serving houseless Portlanders next year. The Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) is currently selecting a service provider to offer continuous on-site support for the residents. County staff anticipates a summer 2023 opening for the first location near SE Stark Street. The second location near Harrison Park is in an early pre-planning phase and currently leased to a recreational vehicle (RV) sales company.
In August 2022, Multnomah County purchased the former RV sales lot at 333 SE 82nd Avenue and posted a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on November 2nd. In response to the NOFA, organizations interested in managing the shelter submitted applications ahead of the November 21st deadline, and the County is actively reviewing those proposals. JOHS staff have yet to determine the type of alternative outdoor shelter planned for 333 SE 82nd Avenue. The site could support either a safe park site for non-RV passenger vehicles or a village-style shelter with small freestanding shed-style Pallet shelters.
Residents are pre-selected for both types of alternative shelters. These sites will not support drop-in services, and site operators will discourage unsanctioned camping around the property. County staff point to another JOHS-funded shelter in the neighborhood as an example of what they intend to create at this site. Beacon Village opened its 10-pod village to residents earlier this year near NE Glisan Street and has successfully housed a small group of formerly unhoused people within a church parking lot.
1818 SE 82nd Avenue
The second County-owned site is located less than a mile south of 333 SE 82nd Avenue at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. The corner lot has access to SE Mill Street and is a block away from Harrison Park. Currently, the County is leasing the property back to its former owner. Recently acquired in December 2022, JOHS has yet to determine this site’s ultimate use, and Multnomah County staff cannot say when planning for this site will begin.
Outdoor alternative shelters are most commonly associated with a City lead collaboration between Portland and JOHS known as Safe Rest Villages. However, both County-owned sites are not being developed as part of that program. Jenka Soderberg, the program communications coordinator for JOHS, explained the primary difference between the two programs. “The Safe Rest Villages program was created apart from existing shelter efforts, with the City funding construction, though it does work with the Joint Office around contracting and other support.” These sites on SE 82nd Avenue will join the County’s existing alternative shelter program that began five years ago. “The Joint Office already funds and operates other alternative shelter sites and has done so since the Kenton Women’s Village first opened in 2017. Other shelters in that category include St. Johns Village, Beacon Village PDX, and WeShine’s Parkrose Village.” Said Soderberg.
The vacant half-block property near historic downtown Montavilla received new black chain-link fencing around its perimeter this December, supplanting the construction fencing that has protected the site since its sale. Over the next few months, construction crews will upgrade facilities at the site, creating resident amenities that include personal property storage, trash service, showers, restrooms, laundry, kitchen space, and social services.
Image of 333 SE 82nd Avenuefrom Portland Maps
The County considers 333 SE 82nd Avenue temporary accommodations. With people staying only as long as it takes to transition into permanent housing or permanent supportive housing programs. However, according to Soderberg, the site will remain a temporary shelter location for the foreseeable future. “The plan is to operate a long-term shelter at the site, but like all programs, budgets must be approved by the County Board and City Council annually, and we would always want to ensure we’re able to evaluate the success of the program.”
During the first half of 2023, program staff will coordinate meetings, working with neighbors and area businesses to create a Good Neighbor Agreement. Through alternative shelters like the ones proposed for Montavilla, the County intends to initiate positive changes for villagers and neighbors currently experiencing unsanctioned camping. By creating a safe sleeping space for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, program managers hope to build an environment that allows villagers to be part of the surrounding neighborhood. Employees will professionally manage the site at all hours of every day. People working with residents will provide support to address basic needs, including hygiene services, case management, and housing navigation. Residents will receive access to treatment for unmet behavioral health needs.
Neighbors within a half-mile radius of the site should receive a postcard in the mail informing them about this planned site use. JOHS will update the community when they decide on a program model and contract with a shelter operator. The village could open and accept participants as soon as workers complete construction. Still, that timeline depends on the shelter style selection and how soon site management can prepare staff. JOHS will provide updates to community organizations as those milestones come closer.
333 SE 82nd Avenue
By
Jacob Loeb
Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the boards of the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Montavilla Neighborhood Association. During that work, he drafted the Good Neighbor Agreement with Beacon Village and will likely participate in future community outreach for these Multnomah County initiatives.
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This month, Family Fun RV closed its location at 333 SE 82nd Avenue after relocating the last reaming inventory to the new lot in St. Helens, Oregon. Construction fencing now surrounds the former vehicle sales establishment. Last year this company closed its other Portland location at 1027 SE 82nd Avenue to focus efforts oping a larger facility along Columbia River Highway.
Since 2017, Family Fun RV sold new and used recreation vehicles from the 82nd Avenue location. Although suffering recent thefts at the site and navigating challenging conditions on surrounding streets, this business’s relocation stemmed from the imminent sale of the property. The owner of this 28,212 square foot car lot listed it for sale at the beginning of 2022, along with many other properties in the area. Information regarding the pending sales of the site is not yet known. However, Family Fun RV staff indicated in a phone call last month that they would only close the 82nd Avenue location after being informed of an offer on the property.
Family Fun RV’s new sales lot is substantially larger than the old Portland location, giving the woman-owned business the space to grow operations. Whoever buys the now-vacant 82nd Avenue location will gain a propionate property near downtown Montavilla. The half-block site has street frontages on three sides, making it highly accessible for many concurrent uses. Although it could easily host another automotive business, it is an ideal location for a mixed retail and housing project.
By
Jacob Loeb
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