PDX Saints Love – Montavilla News

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 s}*_{ite 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.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Business Association Board which will be an invited signer of the GNA

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On March 21st, PDX Saints Love held a ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the beginning of new day services at the former Saints Peter & Paul Episcopal Church property. In a partnership with Shelter Portland, the nonprofit will help unsheltered and housing-insecure community members access food, housing, behavioral health treatment, healthcare, and work opportunities. This organization will use the historic building at 247 SE 82nd Avenue over the next few years until the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon demolishes it to make room for affordable housing. The organization intends to support the housed neighbors along with the unhoused community by providing regular cleanups in Montavilla’s public spaces and instituting a three-block safety zone around the site.

PDX Saints Love’s founder, Kristle Delihanty, expects the site to be active most weekdays, although outward-facing services occur only on certain days and times. The groups will leverage relationships with other nonprofits to provide hygiene, health, housing, and work training. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Cultivate Initiatives will bring mobile washing stations offering showers and haircuts to those who do not have regular access to those necessities. Several times a week, an onsite Peer Wellness Specialist will provide guidance in navigating housing placement or coordinate long-term shelter referrals. In a partnership with Trillium Community Health and Care Oregon, Community Health Workers will provide connections to primary care, OHP assistance, and coordinated care for all health-related needs. Worksystems will offer workforce development and internship opportunities, including a shelter worker training program where people can automatically build a resume hour-by-hour. “We’ll be partnering with Worksystems, which is using the shelter to pay day laborers to clean up in the neighborhood, [making] sure that our neighbors feel supported,” said Delihanty.

*_{Kristle Delihanty and Keith Wilson cutting ceremonial ribbon}*

Recognizing that a concentration of service providers already impacts Montavilla, Kristle Delihanty explained that PDX Saints Love’s support of the unsheltered and housing insecure will also include support for the entire neighborhood and does not want to impose on the community further. In late February, the nonprofit hosted a meeting with neighborhood and business leaders, including those living in homes around the former Saints Peter & Paul property. At the meeting, they listened to people’s concerns and used that feedback to adopt policies Delihanty hopes will minimize the impact on surrounding properties. In addition to the regular cleaning and beautification work coordinated from the site, they will implement rules to discourage camping by the SE 82nd Avenue building. “If someone is camped right outside on Pine or Ash [street] and they came in to get services, we would have a conversation with them. We would let them know about the Community agreement with our neighbors and that we need them to abide by it. If they continue after a seven-day period to stay and camp, then we would withhold services,” explained Delihanty. “We want to give them a grace period to figure something out first, but if they refuse to work with us, we would just withhold services. The same thing goes for the purchase or sale of illegal substances within a three-block radius and open use of illegal substances within a three-block radius.” The day service provider will also maintain a monitored email address so people can contact them with concerns or operational feedback so they can address those issues.

Like many people who work in the recovery and homeless services industry, Delihanty started this work after breaking out of her own cycle of drug use. “I come from homelessness and a 20-year heroin addiction in East Portland. My last nine felony arrests were on 82nd and Powell. When I went into recovery, I got a chance from the District Attorney to start over, and one of the ways that I learned to keep focused on my recovery was through service work,” explained Delihanty. Her experience in recovery and knowledge of the homeless community guided her early work. In 2017, the group started with a giant pot of chili to feed people at Lents Park while discussing options and experiences. PDX Saints Love grew into a 20-volunteer operation by 2018 and became a 501c3 organization in 2021. The organization has operated a reoccurring Wellness Fair in the Lents neighborhood that has grown to 160 participants. The fair will continue in Lents on Mondays. The new site on SE 82nd Avenue will work as a staging and meal prep area for those events. The new building will help the organization improve its existing programs, bringing its formerly outside work into a warm building that can serve people year-round. However, a few new offerings are possible thanks to the added space.

*_{Shelter Portland’s Founder & Chair President Keith Wilson giving interview}*

PDX Saints Love’s partnership with Shelter Portland and the District Attorney’s office will offer day-service guests a Homeless Court program that works to remove barriers to housing and employment caused by criminal backgrounds and active warrants. Similar to the help Delihanty received from the District Attorney while building her current life, the program intends to extend that same chance to others looking to secure a stable life after completing a four-month process. Knowing that there is a future away from drugs and living on the street is an integral part of treating people’s substance use disorder and getting people working on a future.

PDX Saints Love has a 24-month lease for the 247 SE 82nd Avenue facility with an option to extend occupancy until the owners schedule demolition. They will begin operations by offering essential services, including hot meals, showers, wound care, overdose prevention, clothing, and other weather supplies to day-services guests. The established neighborhood group Montavilla Collective will continue to use the building for its events on Wednesdays. Services offered at this location will grow to include more health care services, assistance clearing criminal records, and housing placement. PDX Saints Love staff will meet regularly with neighbors as they grow, gathering input and identifying corrective actions required to remain a positive influence on the community. The people leading this effort are committed to ending homelessness while restoring the communities impacted by the epidemic.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Election Statement: Keith Wilson of Shelter Portland is running for Portland Mayor. Montavilla News does not endorse candidates for office or support ballot measures.