FAQs
Washington County developed community guidelines for siting shelters in 2021. Key takeaways from that process included access to services, employment, and community resources, access to public transportation, and geographic and demographic distribution. Each selected site is considered with that criterion in mind.
Other factors include needing a willing seller or partner who is willing to sell the property at market price. Our real estate team is actively pursuing sites across the County for emergency shelter and affordable housing development. Sites need to be relatively flat and rectangular for both alternative shelter models and long-term development. Sites also benefit from secure access for ingress/egress safety. With all these factors in play, we recognize that no one site will meet every possible need.
Washington County may also lease property from a willing partner that meets the above guidelines.
Participants are selected through a referral program; no walk-ins are accepted. There are 25 community-based organizations in Washington County that can refer someone to our shelter or future transitional housing programs, or individuals may contact Community Connect at 503-640-3263 and request a referral.
Right now, all County shelters have waitlists. Eligible individuals must be experiencing homelessness or at risk, have strong ties to Washington County, be 18 years of age or older, and agree to participate in recovery services and live in a 100% sober environment.
Washington County prioritizes low barrier shelters, which means background checks are not used to screen out guests.
Low barrier policies allow homeless individuals and households to access shelter, housing and services without preconditions such as sobriety, no pets, or agreement to participate in specific programs, activities or classes. This is a best practice to remove barriers to entering shelter, and in turn, reduces the number of homeless individuals in our community.
Shelter residents are required to follow a Code of Conduct. Violations of that code will lead to their removal from the program for a period of time. Below is a sample code of conduct:
Washington County shelters and transitional housing are staffed 24/7 by professionals who specialize in safety, housing navigation and employment assistance. Their goal is to help participants move toward stability by connecting them with long-term housing, mental health care and addiction treatment. Staff can also provide transportation or shuttle rides to public transit so guests can get to important appointments.
Shelters and transitional housing locations offer a safe space with meals, showers, bathrooms and essential supplies like clothing and hygiene products, everything needed so participants can focus on working toward a stable future.
HB 2006 Section 3. (1) states that “A local government shall approve an application for the development or use of land for an emergency shelter, as defined in section 2 of this 2021 Act, on any property, notwithstanding ORS chapter 195, 197, 197A, 215 or 227 or any statewide plan, rule of the Land Conservation and Development Commission or local land use regulation, zoning ordinance, regional framework plan, functional plan or comprehensive plan, if the emergency shelter…” Multiple shelters have been sited across Washington County using this State ordinance.
Unlike an unmanaged encampment, a pod village shelter includes 24/7 staffing from a qualified shelter operator and meets all basic needs for shelter guests including lodging, food, water, and hygiene needs. This organically eliminates the “crimes of necessity” that are more common in unmanaged encampments. On top of provision of these immediate needs, the shelter operator also enters into a good neighbor agreement and provides a code of conduct for shelter guests. When shelter guests do not follow the Code of Conduct, they are exited from the program.
Finally, shelter staff and housing case managers are actively working with shelter guests to help them make the transition into long-term affordable housing. Shelter is just a temporary stop along the way towards long-term housing stability for program participants.
It is important to know that camping outside of or near the shelter is not allowed and will be enforced by shelter operators, County staff and law enforcement in alignment with Washington County’s Time, Place, Manner Policy. This policy prohibits camping near homeless services facilities.
If you see someone in your neighborhood who may need housing help, you can visit showtheway.org. Scroll to the bottom, select “Request or Find Help,” and click “Citizen Request.” An outreach worker will be sent to connect with the person or family living unsheltered: whether in a car, RV or tent. Outreach workers build trust and help people access services like shelter, behavioral health care, treatment and housing programs.
Funding for shelter locations comes from the Washington County Homeless Services Division. This division receives funding through the voter-approved regional Supportive Housing Services measure as its primary funding source, Continuum of Care funding from the federal government, and temporary funding from the Governor’s implementation EO-02 declaring a state of emergency related to homelessness.
Research on how shelters or transitional housing affect nearby property values is limited and inconclusive. A study by Portland State University’s Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative looked at four Portland neighborhoods with pod-style shelters. In three of the four neighborhoods, there were no significant changes in property values. The fourth showed a slight decrease, but researchers noted that other factors could have contributed to that change.
The Urban Institute recently shared an affordable housing case study brief from Alexandria, Virginia. They used Zillow data from 2000 to 2020 and adjusted for overall market trends. The study found that affordable housing has little to no negative impact on property values. You can read more research from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Stanford, and New York University in an article from Bloomberg CityLab.
While data is not definitive, these findings suggest that shelters or transitional housing generally do not have a major impact on property values. Washington County remains committed to thoughtful site selection and ongoing community engagement to address concerns and support neighborhood stability.
Parking is provided on-site for shelter staff and guests to mitigate parking impacts on the surrounding neighborhood.
For concerning situations related to the shelter that do not need police intervention, on-site staff can be contacted on a 24-hour basis to advise or assist. Concerns may also be raised (during business hours) to County management staff providing oversight on the project. They may be reached by emailing [email protected].
Nearby residents or business operators who have specific safety concerns regarding troubling, disruptive or potential criminal activity are encouraged to contact non-emergency dispatch at: 503-629-0111.
If a situation appears to be physically threatening or dangerous, call 911 for an immediate, emergency law enforcement response.
Before programming begins at any of our shelter locations, including pod villages, a robust community engagement process is completed including:
- Sending a postcard to nearby businesses and residences,
- Scheduling meetings for neighbors and interested community members to ask questions, share concerns, and develop a good neighbor agreement for the site
- And canvasing nearby neighbors and businesses with shelter staff to ensure impacted nearby residences have a face-to-face contact and conversation as needed.
Community engagement opportunities will be posted on our Shelter Neighborhood Plans page and interested community members are also welcome to email us at [email protected].